Key to the Spirit
by RegalMisfortune
Summary: Feliciano, a secretly educated man from a coastal village, and Ludwig, a Barbarian and friend of Feliciano, travel from kingdom to kingdom looking for jobs. The current city they traveled to provides more trouble than it's worth. Crummy summary, Part 1 of a set. AU, Human names. Contains both historical references and an OC. Reviews are appreciated.
1. Chapter 1

_A quite whimper escaped the small child's lips, wrapping his thin arms around himself in protection. The dark trees seemed to enclose on the boy, the gnarly branches reaching out to tug on his mud-encrusted clothes. The forest was unearthly silent; not a breath of wind rustled the shriveled, brown leaves. The boy's heart rose to his threat, his amber eyes flicking about. This place was nothing like the green fields he knew, or the welcoming green trees he had entered. He did not know how he found his way to this scary place. He wanted to leave, run away from this dreadful forest. But the child could not find his way out of it. _

_Tears trickled down the child's round cheeks as he paused to look around. Everything looked the same, but yet strikingly unfamiliar. The boy stifled a sniffle, trying not to cry out. He did not want to be caught by some monster that possibly lived in this place. It was the only explanation as to why there was nothing but dead trees in this forest, and why when the boy looked up he saw no light filtering through the crumpled leaves above him. Shadows enshrouded the area, yet a small circle around the boy was lighted up so he could see the twisted roots and loose stones in his path. He could not find the source of this light, but accepted its presence. He did not want to be alone in the dark. _

_Wiping a tear streaked face with the sleeve of his soiled shirt, the child continued to walk deeper into the forest. He was tired and scared, wanting to go home, or even see the soft rays of the sun. Yet the forest was unwilling to give him up just yet, and so the trees became denser, the roots even more gnarly than the last. Even with the light the child stumbled and fell, his clothes gathering more dirt. Branches lashed out to gather a sample of his clothing, tearing and ripping pieces off as he scurried in haste out of their grasps. The child's tears became a constant stream, and his sniffling was far from being stifled. _

_He eventually gave up walking and curled up in a gap between the roots, tucking his knees to his chest. The child was losing hope of ever finding his way out of this forest, fearing that he will be stuck in here forever, and no one would know. The small circle of light around him slowly faded and shrank as the boy fell into despair. Before it could fade away into darkness completely, a voice spoke out from the darkness._

_"Pauperpuer, quomodo vos adeptoin huncsilvarum?" _

* * *

The sound of rumbling wheels and the rocking of the wagon on uneven ground greeted Feliciano as he stirred out of his sleep. There was a soft warmth seeping through the roughly made blanket he had draped over himself, a familiar warmth of late morning rays. Feliciano opened his amber eyes, blinking as he took in the sun's brilliant light.

"You finally awake?"

The amber eyes turned to look at the speaker. A pair of bright blue eyes stared right back at him. Ludwig was his childhood friend, a muscular, fair skinned man from a clan up in the northern most part of the uncivilized lands, or as the kingdoms called it "The Barbarian Lands". Very little land had been conquered by the kingdoms bordering the farthest most south of said Barbaric Lands, and whatever was taken, the tribes would draw out their forces and send the knights racing back to their castles. Yet Ludwig said little about his memories of the northern world, despite Feliciano's attempts to tell him. He bore the marks of his tribe on his back- a black eagle with its wings outstretched. The artistic detail fascinated the other, but Ludwig just grumbled and hid it under his tunic.

"Sì, I am. I must've slept in again." Feliciano giggled as he sat up, the blanket falling from his back onto the floor of the wagon. He was thinner than his well built friend, and shorter too when they stood side by side. His mud brown hair only made Ludwig's bright blonde locks glow like a beacon, but at least Feliciano had a curl that the other man lacked. His olive colored skin was his own beacon, clashing largely against the taller friend's pale flesh. It was obvious that these two were from complete opposite sides of the Known Realm- Ludwig being a Barbaric, and Feliciano showing clear characteristics of a person from Convolvulus, a coastal kingdom in the far southern peninsula of the Realm.

A small loaf of bread was pushed into Feliciano's hands, the blonde sighing. "You missed breakfast again."

"Sorry!" the Convolvuan chirped, sinking his teeth into the loaf as Ludwig leaned back against the side of the wagon, crossing his arms over his chest and glanced out at the road. The tall grasses waved as the wagons rolled passed, flowers fluttering their petals in a silence dance. Soon the grass would fade into fields of grain and corn before being replaced by buildings, the dirt road melting into cobblestones. Then, the pair would leave this troupe and try to find work.

"I like it here," Feliciano murmured, lowering his half eaten bread down into his lap, a sadden look crossing his face. He liked this group that they had stumbled upon. He and Ludwig had been traveling for awhile now, trying to find some work. Yet finding work for strapping men like Ludwig and a simpler, dignified work for Feliciano in the same place was hard to accomplish. They were young men, well enough to be enrolled as a soldier for one of the kingdoms, but that idea had never been on the list for either of them. Ludwig disliked authority and Feliciano's soft hands were more for gripping a quill or a brush, not the hilt of a sword or dagger. So they had wandered, searching, until they came upon this troupe of cheerful and welcoming actors and performers, beckoning them to ride with them to the west to seek a better beginning.

The Barbarian reached over, patting his smaller companion on the shoulder. "We have stayed for almost a month now. We don't want to overstay our welcome."

The Convolvuan bobbed his head in silent agreement before lifting the bread back to his lips. The two fell silent; the only noises were of the rumbling of wheels and hooves and the boisterous singing from the wagon ahead of them. Ludwig was quietly grateful that they had been stuck in the wagon with the supplies. He didn't think he could tolerate sitting in the same wagon with some of the troupe.

Gazing back at his friend, Ludwig found the Convolvuan crumbling a bit of his bread onto the wagon floor beside him. There was a small smile on his face as he murmured something under his breath, watching the pile of crumbs. The Barbarian couldn't see anything, but he knew that it was probably a Sprite of some sort. Feliciano glanced up at him and smiled. "It's a cute little mouse-creature," he answered his friend's unspoken question. He didn't know all of these creatures' names- some he did, but sighting those was far between. Ludwig could see some of the creatures, mostly those from his homeland up north, but those were few around the warmer climates as well. The Barbarian was the only person Feliciano knew that could even see some of the creatures that he saw. Not even his grandfather or brother saw what he did, which secluded him from his family.

Feliciano shook the thought of his family from his head and rose up to his feet only to clamber over the crates and bags to get to the driver of the wagon- an older man with more hair coming from his nose and ears than what sprouted from his head. "Gregooooryyy~" he said in a sing-song voice, his legs kicking slightly as they dangled over the edge of the crate. "Are we almost to a city yet?"

Old man Gregory laughed, or rather, a wheezing cough with a wide smile. "Ah, indeed we are," he said, raising a hand from the reins to point at a series of towers that could be spotted in the distance down the road. "That is the City of Roses. We'll reach there by sundown."

* * *

Translation:

Latin: Pauper puer, quomodo vos adepto in hunc silvarum?- Poor child, how did you get into this forest

Translations come from Google Translate- any errors in the phrase please let me know the correct phrasing. I will edit it as quickly as I can.

Notes:

The Known Realm that this story is set in is similar in landscape and location as Europe during a time frame similar to the Medieval era. The shape of the continent, however, is not like of Europe.

The Barbaric Lands, in relationship to Europe, consist of the countries of Germany, Poland, Czech, Ukraine, Russia, and all countries northward. A map will be provided later if this story is of interest to people.

Barbarians: The origin of calling the people of these northern people "barbarians" refers back to Roman times, when the lands were called Germania, on which different tribes of people lived. The Romans described them as barbaric, and posed a threat to a Roman-controlled Gaul. They tried- and failed- to completely conquer and civilize Germania

Ludwig's tribal markings are that of the German Coat of Arms.

Convolvulus: The name of Feliciano's kingdom comes from a type of flower that grows in Italy. It looks like a Morning Glory (which is probably a subspecies of this group of flower, but I am unsure).

The City of Roses is set in a kingdom similar to England.

Feliciano is 17 and Ludwig is 19.

Point of View will alter between Feliciano and Ludwig.


	2. Chapter 2

_The child sniffed, opening his tearful eyes to look at the speaker. The man wore a white mantle over chainmail, the fabric sporting a large, scarlet cross in the middle. The ends of the mantle were tattered and frayed, the armor looked old and in disrepair. He tried to look up to view the man's face, but the shadows shrouded him. Yet, the child could sense that the man was staring at him with kind, caring eyes. He relaxed slightly, but tears continued to trickle down his chubby cheeks._

_The man squatted down, as if to get to the boy's eyelevel. The movement startled the child, causing him to squeak and curl up closer to the knots of roots he sat in. "Estlicuit," the man murmured softly, reaching a gloved hand towards the child. The boy screwed his eyes shut, his body tensing as if preparing for a slap. Yet, when he felt a warm weight on his head, he cracked an eye open. He could tell that the man was smiling, even though he could not see it. It was a kind, gentle smile, a smile from a man who would not harm a hair on the child's head. _

_The boy slowly began to relax, blinking both of his amber eyes at the man. He sensed that the smile grew wider, the hand petting his brown hair gently. "Es perditus, puer?" The child stared up at the man's words, his mouth opening as if to speak, but closed it. He lifted his sleeve up to wipe his tears from his cheeks before opening his mouth once more in attempt to talk. _

_"E-etiam…" the child managed to squeak out, his eyes watering up to the point where he could barely see the man anymore. The hand stroked his hair for a minute, before it lifted away. He felt fingers curling around his small frame, lifting him up effortlessly. He snuggled up against the man's shoulder as he held him close, buying his wet face in the crook of his neck. The child felt one hand under him for support, the other pressing against his back steadily. It was warm, soothing, causing the child's tears to trickle to a stop. _

_"Assumam vostergum domus."_

* * *

The sun had sunken below the horizon when the wagon train approached the city gates. It was too dark to see anything, but Ludwig could sense it was a big city. His nose wrinkled in slight disgust at the gut feeling. He didn't like the city as much as Feliciano did. There were just too many people, cramped and stuffy. Buildings seemed like bars of a prison to the Barbarian, caging him in. He preferred being out amongst the trees, or walking through the waves of grass. Yet for the Convolvuan, it was hard to tell what he liked. Ludwig had watched him enjoy lolling in the grass during their younger years, yet shivered and cringed away at the sight of forests. He seemed rather at ease in towns and cities though, and always had a look of excitement on his face when they went to a new place. The Convolvuan always had to explore, looking through every nook and cranny before ever searching for a job. It always irritated Ludwig at his friend's carefree perspective of life.

His blue eyes glanced over at Feliciano. The olive-skinned young man was walking slightly behind the taller blonde, stroking a silvery-white horse that was tethered to the side of the wagon. It was a young horse, old enough to not be considered a foal but still too young to be considered a horse. It was a rather majestic beast, Ludwig had to admit, apart from the large lump in the middle of its forehead. It was a birthmark, and because of it the horse had been given to the troupe as payment for their plays in one of the towns a week ago. Feliciano was immediately drawn to the horse, and spent his time walking beside the horse, stroking it and talking to it.

Ludwig sighed, shaking his head at the Convolvuan. He knew that his friend would be heartbroken when they had to leave the troupe and the horse. It was silly how he always attached himself to something and in the ended up crying when it departed from him. Ludwig never let himself get too comfortable with his surroundings, or the people they happen to travel with. Not that the people always liked his presence to begin with- they looked at him with a wariness as if he would suddenly go berserk and attack them. He may be of Barbaric origin, but he had been taught some civility.

The train of wagons slowed to a stop as they faced the large gates that separated them from the buildings within. Feliciano had ceased talking to the horse and blinked as a pair of guards approached them. Their chainmail clinked quietly in the dark, their eyes scanning the group, judging them. Ludwig tensed as their eyes flickered over to him, his own blue orbs narrowing in an icy glare back at him. They only looked at him for a moment before turning their attention to the troupe leader- a short round man named Oliver.

"Are you the Red Wing Troupe?" one of the guards asked, his tone rather cold.

Oliver laughed, a deep, jolly sort of laugh coming from deep within his belly. "Of course! Were you expecting us?"

"We heard this group was coming this way. His Majesty wished that you settle at the castle grounds."

There was a bit of cheering that rolled through the wagons. Being invited to the castle of a king was a great feat for a wandering troupe such as them. The guards waved them to pass and the wagons rumbled into the city.

"Isn't this exciting?" Feliciano said, hopping up beside Ludwig. The Barbarian grunted. It was just a stupid castle; it wasn't as if they were going to be flooded with riches or glory from battle. They would only be watched by the gaze of nobles and knights, all who whispered and judged them as peasants, almost as low as a slave. Yet these people did not think that way. An invitation by the great king of a kingdom was like winning the battle against a massive, fierce dragon. They did not care if they were gazed upon like filth on the bottom of a noble's shoe.

Soon another person approached the wagon train, a knight judging from his silky red cloak that draped over his shoulders, his armor polished to a bright gleam in the feeble light. He was a rather tall man, not as tall as Ludwig, but tall enough to be respectable. His hair was of a dirty blonde, a common color amongst these parts. His eyes were of a shade of blue, but the darkness hid its exact color from the Barbarian.

"Hello!" he called to them, flashing a set of white teeth. He was well taken care of. "Welcome to the City of Roses! I am Sir Alfred, His Majesty's best knight!"

Ludwig snorted at that comment. This man was probably some high noble or relative to the king. His skills had nothing to do with his respect from the king. Sir Alfred babbled a few more words before leading the group to another set of gates, this one leading to the castle grounds. Torches lit the area, but the light fell short on the castle walls, hiding its size from him. The knight proceeded to lead them to a section of open space near the stables, telling them they could put their wagons here and allowed them to stable their horses. The Barbarian helped unhook the horses from the wagons, catching Feliciano leading the white horse into the stables out of the corner of his eye.

The wagons were set up in a large circle, a fire in the middle. The troupe laughed and talked as they ate some food they had left, polishing off the remainders of their stores in order to have fresh food when they left. Ludwig sat off to the side near the shadows, not really hungry. Feliciano sat beside him, although he was hungrily digging into his bowl of soup. "You're making a mess," the Barbarian grumbled, frowning at the smaller man. Feliciano lifted his head up long enough to flash him a wide grin, his face dirtied with splattered broth before going back to eating.

* * *

Translation:

Latin: Est licuit- It's alright.

Es perditus, puer?- Are you lost, child?

Etiam- Yes

Assumam vos tergum domus- I'll take you back home

Translations from Google Translate. Please tell me if there are any errors and give me the correct wording. I edit it as quickly as I can.


	3. Chapter 3

_The child had started to doze at the rhythm of the man's footsteps. He didn't realize his exhaustion until the man started to carry him. How long had he been lost in this forest? Why was he even in the forest? He couldn't remember, but he thought back of the land outside the forest. He thought of the small village he lived in, the smell of the salty breeze that wafted from the sea. He thought of his grandfather, his brother. Oh, they would be so angry at him for wandering off!_

_He pressed himself closer to the shoulder he leaned against, breathing into the man's neck. He smelled of warm sun and sand, with a hint of salt, as if he slept on the beach everyday in the summer sun. It was a soothing scent, causing the boy to relax completely in this man's embrace. He knew he could trust this man to take him to safety, back to his village by the sea. Although he did not know him, he felt as if he seemed familiar. Maybe it was the mantle with the scarlet cross, or the way he spoke. Yes, it was his voice. It was like his grandfather's, calm and gentle, but holding a tone of authority, a tone of wisdom. The child began to wonder why this man was out in the forest alone. Was he a warrior? His grandfather had been a soldier, perhaps they were related? Only if he could see his face, then he could tell if this man was like his grandfather. _

_The man stopped walking, breathing out a small sigh. The child felt a familiar warmth of the sun, but his eyes were heavy, and he could not open to greet the bright rays. He was soon lifted away from the man's shoulder, settled down on soft grass. He curled up, tucking his knees to his chest. Before he drifted off to sleep, he felt something lifted over his head and settled around his neck, yet he could not open his eyes to see what it was. The child had fallen asleep in the sun's embrace._

* * *

It was early morning when Ludwig stirred from his sleep, but when he opened his eyes, he found himself staring into amber eyes.

"Feliciano! W-what are you…? You're up too early!" Ludwig sat up, frowning in concern at the Convolvuan. It was unusual to find the shorter man awake before him. He was either sick or had been woken up by a nightmare. Yet, as he looked around, the Barbarian noticed that many of the troupe was gone, and he could hear voices. Lots of voices.

"It's Sabbath Day," Feliciano explained, beaming happily as he tugged on the Barbarian's sleeve. "The Church is inside the castle! Isn't that cool?"

Oh, that would explain it. Ludwig sighed heavily. Almost all the people in the Known Realm belonged to the Church, baptized in the name of God. His clan's beliefs were of natural spirits and entities, not of one grand deity. He knew a little of this religion from what he learned from Feliciano, but it made no sense to him. The main concern was that the members of the Church spoke a completely different language when they preached. How could one learn of this religion if they didn't even understand what the teachers were saying?

Grudgingly, the Barbarian got up from his sleeping spot, stifling a yawn as he let the Convolvuan drag him towards a huge line of colorful people, trying to get into the castle. In the light of the morning sun, he could see that the face of the castle had stained-glass windows depicting Saints and other religious beings. This part of the castle jutted out, the main castle resting further back, leaving a huge open space between the walls and the castle. One side, which the two had just come from, had the stables. The other side he presumed had another building, but he could not see through the crowds that were slowly seeping through the large oak doors into the Church.

"We should hurry, before all the seats are taken!" Feliciano dragged Ludwig towards the crowd, the Barbarian's muscles tensing up. He could feel eyes on him, recognizing his heritage. Most of the people in this line were peasants, meaning that the nobles were already inside, taken the best seats. His appearance and recognition of what gave the two an advantage, as the crowd parted enough for Feliciano to lead his tall friend through the doors. He led them towards a bench where the troupe sat, Gregory smiling and shifting over to give them room to sit.

The Church was huge, large marble pillars reaching up to the grand ceilings. Pictures were adorned on the ceilings themselves, showing off the stories of what the religion preached about. All the walls were lined with stained-glass, the colored light dancing on the marble floor. Ludwig shifted uncomfortably, taking his eyes off the architecture and to the people around him. There were so many of them, most of them peasants where he sat. The nobles sat on the balconies that went around three of the four walls, their bright clothes standing brightly, putting even the best of the commoner's clothing to shame.

The Church soon fell silent as three men came out of a door that on the front wall beside a highly decorated area that Feliciano said was the altar area. It was the holy place of the Church. The one man wore much fancier clothing than the other two, and had a staff and a ridiculous headdress.

"That's the Bishop," Feliciano whispered into his ear. "He's an important figure."

The sermon soon began, the Bishop speaking in that Church language of his. The other two men acted like henchmen, standing on either side of the man in the silly hat. It was a bore for him, but he kept from fidgeting, not wanting to disturb the people around him. One time he had grown so bored during a sermon he had fallen asleep. Ludwig and Feliciano had to scurry out of that town in a hurry. The Barbarian resented going back to these sermons, but Feliciano didn't want to go alone, and no one worked on these days, so he had nothing to do but go to them.

Ludwig let his eyes wander, gazing at the expressions of the people around him. Many seemed just as bored as he was, but they put on a good face and kept their eyes forward onto the speaker. Feliciano was leaning forward, listening intently to every word. He knew the Church language, although he kept it secret from everyone along with his knowledge of reading and writing. Commoners like him weren't supposed to know such things. Yet the Convolvuan learned from his grandfather, who had been a very important man. Or so, that's what Feliciano told him. Ludwig only knew him about a year or so after his grandfather's death, so he didn't know the full detail of his history- only from what he told him.

Sighing quietly, the Barbarian crossed his arms, his eyes turning back to the front, a scowl present on his lips as he waited for the boring sermon to end.

* * *

Notes:

The Church is identical to that of the Roman Catholic Church. During medieval times, the Church was a great influence in the kingdoms. The main language of the Church was Latin, and all the clergy and monks spoke and wrote Latin. All literature was written in Latin, and only the nobles and those rich enough could have their children and themselves taught Latin. Commoners were illiterate, spending most of their time in the fields, tending to livestock, or working at their craft. They didn't have the money or the time to learn, and in order to help the people learn of God and Jesus, Churches sported stained-glass windows that taught the illiterate masses the stories. Stained-glass=picture books.


	4. Chapter 4

_"Nonno, do we have a lot of relatives?" The child tugged on hem of the tall man's tunic, his amber eyes wide as he stared up at him. _

_"Well, of course we do!" the older man laughed, bringing a calloused hand down onto the boy's hair and ruffled it. "We have plenty of relatives, all strong and mighty warriors like your Nonno!" _

_"Then why don't they visit us, Nonno?" the child inquired, blinking up from under the large hand on his head. He could almost hear that strange man from the woods in his grandfather's voice, a similar, powerful voice. Yet when he had woken up, he was back home, and no one knew what he was talking about when he questioned them about the man._

_The hand had left the boy's head, the man at his eye level. Amber eyes gazed into the child's own, a sadden look glinting in their depths. "They have fought their last battle, my dear nipote," the older man murmured. "They died a warrior's death and will be remembered as the best soldiers in the kingdom." _

_The child opened his mouth to prod his grandfather with more questions, but a sharp pain shot up from his shoulder, causing him to squeak. _

_"You stop bothering Nonno with silly questions!" This child was similar to the other, although taller and older and with much more spark. _

_"I-I'm sorry!" the younger child whimpered, whirling around the taller boy and shooting out of the room before another hit was thrown his way. He rubbed his shoulder gently, knowing that a bruise would form there, before entering his small room and perching on the edge of the bed. The child reached under his collar, pulling out a small cord that was looped around a silver key. "You were a relative, weren't you?" he asked the key, fiddling with it with his small fingers. "Why won't you come visit us sometime…? You must be lonely with no one else around…"_

* * *

"Wasn't that service amazing?" Feliciano asked cheerfully. A smile had been plastered on his face since the Bishop ended the sermon. He looked over at the Barbarian, who was digging a hole for one of the poles for a tightrope. The blonde grunted and wrinkled his nose in disgust at the Convolvuan's question.

"That stupid headdress man wouldn't stop waggling his tongue," he grumbled, slamming the shovel into the earth, cracking the wooden shaft.

"Aw, it wasn't _that _bad." Feliciano turned his eyes back to the banner he was carefully patching up the paint on, although the colors didn't quite match the old ones. It was the only colors that the troupe had left to spare. "It was actually shorter than they usually are."

"Shorter?!" The shovel officially broke in two at that. The Barbarian didn't even seem to notice, his icy eyes swiveling around to glare at his friend. "It was barely sunrise when it started! Now look! It's already midday!" He gestured his hand towards the sun, not even noticing that he still had the top half of the shovel in his grasp. He continued to gesture his hands around in a violent manner, Feliciano cringing back in order to avoid contact with the shaft that was flailing around in his direction. "I don't get you people. You happily wake up at the crack of dawn every week to spend half the day in a stuffy, cramped building and you sit there for hours! HOURS! You don't even eat before then! Then you can't even understand what the damn fool is even saying because he's speaking in gibberish! You guys then PAY him to forgive you! How does that even work?! I don't- I just-" Growling in frustration, Ludwig leaned forward slightly, his hands gripping the shovel shaft in his hands as if it was the only thing keeping him from falling into an unseen abyss. Suddenly his body snapped upward, throwing his hands up into the air in furious defeat. "I just don't get it!"

The only thing that came out of Feliciano's mouth in reply was a small yelp. The Barbarian had let go of the shaft, and it was now a deadly projectile. The Convolvuan staggered to his feet, ignoring a paint smear he had left behind on the banner and scurried after the runaway piece of shovel. No one could get hurt because of his friend's mistake. Feliciano knew that any guard or noble that saw the shaft hit anyone, the Barbarian would be quickly cast out of the city, or worse, imprisoned. The current object in the range of fire was a girl with long, brown hair carrying an armful of flowers. She was unaware of the danger she was in.

Feliciano didn't have time to warn her. He plowed right into her, the flowers scattering everywhere as the two toppled to the ground. He heard a loud_ thunk _near his head as the shaft buried itself into the earth, the wood splintering at the force.

"_Ve_, that was close!" Feliciano giggled nervously, sitting up and looked at the dangerous shaft in the ground. He almost rarely used his local tic from his kingdom-only when he was under stress. He momentarily forgot that he was sitting on the woman he had saved, his eyes still gazing at the object sticking up from the ground.

"Well, um…thank you for saving me, but… can you please get off of me?" The woman's voice took the Convolvuan by surprise, causing him to jump up off of her.

"O-oh! I'm sorry, miss! Here, let me help you." He offered a paint-smeared hand to her, which she took and pulled herself up, almost pulling Feliciano down in the process. It was slightly embarrassing having a woman be stronger than he. To hide his reddening cheeks, he bent down and began hastily picking up the flowers that had been scattered across the ground. He could hear Ludwig's heavy footsteps approaching, but he dared not to look up at him.

Ludwig too was a bit embarrassed, although he hid it well. "S-sorry…" he mumbled, refusing to even look at the girl as he knelt down to pick up the flowers as well.

"Oh, you don't have to pick them up. I can manage that." The young woman had brushed off the dust from her rose pint dress and had joined the two men on the ground to pick up the discarded floral. "But thank you for helping."

Feliciano gathered up a small amount of courage to look up at the girl. She was around the same age as he and his friend, her long brown hair tucked behind her ears. Her face was browned by the sun, but her arms under the sleeve of her dress were pale. Her hands were well worked, but gentle-looking. She caught him looking, her green eyes blinking at him as she smiled. She seemed rather nice. Her green eyes then trailed to Ludwig and her movements stopped. She stared at the man, almost curiously. "You're a Barbarian…?" she asked quietly, as if she did not want to bring any attention to herself from anyone that happened to walk by.

Feliciano felt Ludwig tense up. He really didn't like people calling him a Barbarian. He knew how to speak and act properly, but yet people still called him a savage, uncivilized. He did his best not to let them speak up and personal to his fist, but sometimes it slipped and the two always had to pack their bags in the dead of night. The Convolvuan felt like it was going to be one of those days as Ludwig lifted a hand, but to his surprise, brought it through the girl's hair, pulling out a piece of curled green.

"There's a leaf," he grumbled, turning his blue eyes away.

The girl seemed taken aback, but then smiled at him. "Thanks," she said, gathering the flowers up in her arms and standing. "I really should get going back to work. The cook would kill me if I show up late again." She bowed towards them and turned, hurrying towards the other side of the Church. On that side it was now known to be the entrance to the kitchens. "Oh!" The girl turned, beaming at them. "I'm Elizaveta! I'll see you tomorrow at the show!"

"She's nice," Feliciano murmured, waving slightly as the girl disappeared into the castle. "Maybe she'll help us find a job?"

Ludwig just grunted and held out his hand to the Convolvuan. "Look at the leaf," he murmured, getting the curled piece of foliage into the smaller set of hands. Feliciano blinked, looking down at it. The leaf slowly uncurled, a pair of golden eyes blinking up at him.

"Aww, it's a fairy!" he cooed, beaming down at the creature as it unwrapped itself from the leaf and fluttered up into the air. It chirped at him, its violet hair curling around its body like clothing as it flitted around the two. "I didn't know you could see fairies."

"They live in the forests back home," Ludwig grumbled. "The majority are benevolent creatures."

"There are different kinds of fairies?" Feliciano blinked up at him, his amber eyes wide with interest.

"Many, though you won't find any here. It's best kept that way." Ludwig bent down, pulling out the shaft with a tug. He sighed, frowning at the shaft before heading back towards the stables. "I need another shovel."

The Convolvuan shook his head at his friend's retreating back. Any job that man could get had to put his muscles to work. Imaging the Barbarian trying to stir some bubbling pot in a kitchen made the shorter man chuckle. He didn't even know if the man could even cook other than skewering some meat onto a stick and shoving it into a fire. "He's a good man, though," he murmured to the fairy, the creature rubbing its insect-like wings together as it perched on his shoulder, cooing into his ear before fluttering off. He walked back to the banner, kneeling down to begin patching up the paint on the fabric once more.

Feliciano looked up as Ludwig returned with a new shovel, but there was a concerned look on his face as he stared at the smaller man. "Ludwig, what's wrong…? Did you get yelled at for breaking the shovel?" The Convolvuan blinked up at him, watching the Barbarian shift, slightly uncomfortably. "Ludwig…?"

The Barbarian's eyes turned away, pushing the new shovel into the dirt. "Your favorite horse is gone," he mumbled.

"W-what…? What do you mean…?"

"Exactly what I mean. It's gone, sold. Some guy bought it from Oliver."

Feliciano stared up at the blonde, unsure of what to believe. His heart sank at the look on the Barbarian's face. He wasn't making this up. The silvery-white horse was gone. Feliciano let his gaze fall back to the banner, halfheartedly jabbing a blob of paint onto it. The two were quiet for a long time, which was slightly comforting for the Convolvuan. Ludwig always got onto the lecture of how the shorter man shouldn't get attached to people or animals that he knew would leave him. But he couldn't help himself. He wanted to be friends with everyone and everything. Unlike the Barbarian, Feliciano needed things to be around him. Things that he knew, that he recognize. New places and situations made him nervous when he was alone. That's why he liked being with Ludwig. Even if the place they went to was unfriendly, at least he wasn't alone trying to escape in the dark.

"Who bought it?" Feliciano asked suddenly, his amber eyes rising to meet the blue ones above him.

Ludwig remained quiet for a moment. "Someone from the castle early this morning when we were going into the Church," he said. "Or that's what Oliver told me. If you're lucky, you can see the horse again before we get kicked out into the city."

A small smile formed on the smaller man's face and bobbed his head. "Yes, maybe I will."

* * *

Translation:

Italian: Nonno- Grandfather, Nipote- Grandson

Near the end of Ludwig's rant, paying for forgiveness refers to the practice and misuse of indulgences during the Middle Ages by the Church.

Fairies, as a word, can describe a wide range of mythical creatures, including elves and nymphs. The fairy present in this chapter is of description of what most people think of today when they hear the word- a small humanoid-like creature with insect wings. In later chapters fairies will vary.

I am currently looking for a decent picture to cover this story. If anyone wants to help me look, I'll be glad to see whatever picture you give me.

Following that idea, if there are any errors or questions involving this story, I will also be glad to answer them the best I can. I will not try to slip any spoilers, but ideas and theories are welcome.


	5. Chapter 5

_"Nonno! Where are you going?" the child whimpered, doing his best not to cry. The tall man turned to face him, a small, sad sigh escaping his lips as he rested a hand on the boy's head. He was dressed in his old armor, a cloak draped over his shoulders. Behind the man stood several other men sporting armor and weapons, their facial expressions hard to describe. _

_"The kingdom's at war again and I have been called to serve. Antonio here will take care of you and Lovino until I come back." He patted the child's head, his smile failing to hide the sadness in his amber eyes. "Be good while I'm gone, and please make sure your fratello doesn't hurt him too much." _

_The child nodded, his eyes tearing up as he watched his Nonno rise to his feet. Turned his back to the boy as he headed outside, pulling the hood of his cloak up to protect him from the dismal rain that was pouring down. With the door open, the child could hear the waves crashing into the rocks, but all he could see was the backs of the retreating men as they left. _

_Another man came into his vision, a tanned man with dark brown hair. He wasn't related to the child or his brother, but he was a friend of the family. This man was Antonio that the child's Nonno spoke of. He closed the door, latching it shut so the wind wouldn't blow it open and turned his green eyes to the boy. "Es tarde. Hay que ira la cama." He gently nudged the boy towards his bedroom, where he could hear his brother throwing things around in. He had been upset when Nonno said he was leaving and had stormed off to the bedroom the two children shared without even saying goodbye. It didn't seem like either of them were going to get any sleep…_

* * *

The streets were crowded, swamped with people wearing all sorts of styled clothing. It seemed that the word of the traveling troupe had spread quickly and everyone in the City of Roses decided that they should celebrate. Feliciano described it to Ludwig as a festival, although the terminology was foreign to the man. The Convolvuan was walking beside the taller Barbarian, humming happily as he gazed about at the architecture. This city had a blend of design- columns and arches, domes and spires. Marble and granite seemed to be the favorite material for accents like benches and statues. The streets were surprisingly wide for a city, and didn't seem as cramped and dirty as most did. Everything seemed clean and in well repair. It didn't seem a single battle was fought here since the day the city was erected. Whoever ruled this kingdom knew how to keep the peace.

Keeping the peace was a big thing in this city too. Ludwig couldn't help but notice all the different people that the pair passed by. There were mixes of blonde, brown, and black hair in the crowd, their skin complexities ranging from almost earth brown to his own pale flesh. There was a couple that looked similar to Feliciano, although they lack the curl and they spoke in a different language. This city was a crossroad for all the other kingdoms, and it was surprising to see all of them at ease with each other.

Yet Ludwig couldn't help but notice the people glancing over at him, tensing up at his presence. They even kept their distance a little, which didn't seem to bother the Barbarian's short friend. "They are so nice!" he said multiple times. "Letting us go through without a hassle!" Only if he knew that they were getting out of their way because of the blonde's obvious heritage.

"We shouldn't stray too far from the main road. We don't want to get lost," Ludwig told Feliciano, catching him trying to go down an alley.

"I suppose you're right," he replied, frowning slightly and trailed back to the taller man's side. The smile returned quickly though, his amber eyes darting about. He was certainly enjoying himself. Ludwig, on the other hand, not so much. He didn't like the eyes on him, or the whispering behind his back. He stood almost a head higher than everyone in the city, and he was still had room to grow. A few other heads stuck out of the crowd, but none of them reached the height he did. But if he had been a tall Convolvuan, no one would've even look at him. It was all because of the blood that ran in his veins that caused all the attention.

"Oh look! It's Elizaveta! Hello Elizaveta!" The sudden call took Ludwig by surprise, looking down at Feliciano as he waved his arms to the familiar long haired brunette. She turned her green eyes towards them, a smile crossing over her face as she recognized them.

"Well, hello there. I didn't expect you two to be out here."

"We were just exploring the city!" Feliciano chimed, hopping up to her and wrapping his arms around her in a hug. She blinked in surprise, not use to sudden affection, but chuckled and patted his back nevertheless.

"You shouldn't go hugging people unannounced," Ludwig grumbled, standing behind the Convolvuan. It was ridiculous how many times he had to peel the shorter man off of people that he only met once and suddenly decided he was their best friend. He hadn't changed a bit since childhood.

"It's quite alright. It's nice to see someone friendly every once in awhile," Elizaveta said, smiling up at the Barbarian. "But I thought you two would be helping setting up with the rest of your troupe…"

Ludwig made a face at that. The very thought of him participating in something like singing and dancing was absurd.

"Oh no, we aren't part of the troupe! We traveled with them since it was faster than going by foot and we're looking for jobs!" Feliciano had finally let go of the woman, but now he was spluttering words out as fast as he could about how the two of them met up with the troupe and their job searches. Ludwig couldn't stop him either. Elizaveta seemed a bit overwhelmed by the informational shower of rambles, a slight smile on her face that Ludwig could only describe as irritated. Yet she remained nice, nodding her head and patted the Convolvuan on the shoulder. "That's very nice. I heard you were looking for jobs?"

"Oh, yes!" Feliciano bobbed his head, beaming at her. "You know anyone who's looking for some hands, even if it's just for a few days?"

Ludwig heaved a sigh, running his fingers through his hair. This was getting rather annoying. Feliciano always made a huge attempt at finding a job, but he does it in such an overdramatic way that he always irritated the people he was asking. Some people just hire him out of pity, and some people hire him just to make him shut up and leave them alone. That was a mistake. The Convolvuan liked to talk and loll around than he did working, and usually made a big mess, although he typically cleaned it up later after being scolded. He could never hold a job with his flippant personality.

"I could always ask the Steward if there is room for two more workers," the woman said slowly after a minute of thought. Ludwig had to plant a hand on Feliciano's shoulder to keep him from jumping up and causing a scene.

"Thank you, we are indebted to you," the Barbarian murmured, bowing slightly towards her.

"It's quite alright. No need to be so polite about it!" Elizaveta smiled at the two. "Although the Steward will most likely want to see you two first before making any decision; he is quite the picky person! You two should follow me back to the castle and ask of his opinion on the matter."

And so the three of them walked; the Barbarian and the Convolvuan following close behind the woman. She was actually shorter than the klutzy man, to Ludwig's slight surprise. She presented herself as much taller, or it just seemed that way because Feliciano had no backbone. There was some spark with this girl; she would most likely fight alongside the soldiers if there was ever an invasion on the kingdom.

"What were you doing far from the castle?" Feliciano was bugging Elizaveta again, trying to press her for information as to what she was doing in the city instead of working in the castle.

"Oh, a delivery. Nothing special." She was hiding something, Ludwig could tell, but her words pleased the Convolvuan enough to shut him up. It was none of their business to know what she was doing. The Barbarian was thankful for that Feliciano wasn't the demanding type, wanting to know every sliver of information under the sun. He was more of the one to _give_ all his personal information rather than force it out of someone.

They managed to get back to the castle without having any difficulties. Elizaveta led the two towards the other side of the Church, letting them into the kitchens. It was a massive room, filled with cooking food and people. Lot of people. They darted around from pot to pot, scurrying over each other. "They're preparing for a feast. Several nobles are in town and they were invited to dine with the king," Elizaveta explained, huddling close to the far wall to get around the kitchen servants.

It was quieter in the hallway that she led them to, lit by torches. They went up a flight of spiraling stairs, leaving the noise of the kitchens behind them. "Wait here," she murmured as they reached the first landing. "I'll go see if he is in his room."

Watching the woman knock before disappearing into a room, Feliciano glanced up at Ludwig, a grin on his lips. "You think we'll get a job?" he asked excitedly. Ludwig just shrugged. It was hard to tell. If he kept his babbling mouth and emotions down, Feliciano would easily get a job cleaning or something. On the other hand, Ludwig wouldn't be so swell in scrubbing floors all day. He'd rather throw himself off the city wall instead of cleaning. Not that he was terrible at it- it was just so _dull_.

The door suddenly creaked open and Elizaveta stepped out, followed by a taller man. His hair was a dark brown, almost black in the shadows. Violet eyes gazed at the pair with a rather snooty look, in Ludwig's opinion. He also had one of those silly looking curl things that popped out of his head, much like Feliciano's, only thicker and not as obnoxiously curled. He wore a blue overcoat over top of his white silken tunic, hemmed with golden thread. Ludwig couldn't help but notice that one of the chest pockets of his coat was a shade lighter than the rest of the outfit, possibly been replaced.

"This is Lord Roderich. He is the Steward of the castle. These two are the ones I was talking about," Elizaveta explained, gesturing the two to the noble.

"_These_ are the two you were mentioning?" The Steward wrinkled his nose up at the two, his violet eyes gazing down at him as if they were two specks of mud that he found on his shoes. He glanced at the Convolvuan before his eyes settled on the much taller Barbarian. Ludwig glared back, icy blue eyes meeting violet. "Tell your slave to stop looking at me like that," the Steward snapped, his eyes turning back to Feliciano, who blinked up at him.

"Eh…? He's not my slav-"

"I'd rather be dead than be damned as a slave," Ludwig growled, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at the noble. The Steward seemed rather taken aback, even stepping away from the Barbarian. He didn't expect the blonde to be able to talk in Common, or didn't see how the man was even standing there without being a slave. Whatever was the case, the Steward recovered quickly with a slight cough.

"Well then, I won't mind the Convolvuan to work for the castle, but I will need to consult to see if the Barbarian will be acceptable within these castle walls. Elizaveta, see these two out."

Elizaveta bowed deeply as the man disappeared back into his room. Ludwig grumbled a curse under his breath. This was going to be a pain to get anything out of this castle. Heading out of this city within a few days seemed more and more likely.

"I am sorry for Lord Roderich's words," Elizaveta apologized to them as she led them back out of the castle. "He did not mean to offend you, Mister…um…" Her eyes suddenly widened. It dawned on her that she did not know their names.

The Barbarian sighed. "Ludwig," he grumbled. "And it's fine. I get stupid remarks on many occasions."

"Sí, he's always attracting attention," Feliciano added in, beaming happily. "And I'm Feliciano! I'm glad you're helping us! You should come and watch the shows tonight! Oliver and Gregory and the others sure put on a good act!"

"I would love to go," Elizaveta smiled back, although it faltered slightly. "However, my service is needed. I will not be able to see most of the show, if not all of it. I am sorry, but I found out at such a short notice."

"It's all good!" The Convolvuan patted her on the back. "We'll just see you when that Steward person-guy figures out if he's going to hire us or not!"

Elizaveta nodded softly and smiled at the two. "I will tell you if he comes with a decision. I'm sure it won't be long." With a bow, the woman went back into the kitchens.

"Ah well, we should go enjoy ourselves! I wonder if they're selling some salted fish. I haven't had any good fish since we left Convolvulus!" With that Feliciano was off again, humming to himself as he went to blend in with the growing crowds to watch the troupe do their acts.

* * *

Translations:

Spanish- Hay que ir a la cama- You should go to bed

Italian- Fratello- Brother

A Steward was a person employed in a large household or estate to manage domestic concerns, such as the dealings with servants, rents, accounting, and other issues involving people who were not nobles or related to the family of the house. Out of all the characters, I felt that Roderich (Austria) best suited a Steward than the other characters.

That brings up another point. This is already chapter five, and there hasn't been word as to who the king is. So far we have Alfred (America) as the leading knight, Elizaveta (Hungary) as a servant, and Roderich as a Steward. Is there a connection between these characters and the king? Any guesses?

Lastly, I've noticed that my chapters are getting longer. Typically I would presume this is a good thing, but sometimes I get a bit side-tracked and the story doesn't make sense. If they start to get a bit too chaotic, please let me know. I'll try to tame it a bit.


	6. Chapter 6

_"Fratello! Where are you going?" The child jumped, his amber eyes turning to gaze into the narrowed eyes of his brother. _

_"I-I'm going to feed the sheep," he stuttered, doing his best not to shake the bucket of water in his hands too much. It seemed to be the proper answer, for his brother grunted and sulked off. _

_"Tell Antonio I'm taking a walk," he snapped. _

_The child nodded until his brother was out of sight before turning to face the barn. It wasn't very big; only enough for a few sheep, a handful of chickens, and a cow. It was a bit run down too, with a few holes in the roof that were hastily patched up with whatever they could find. Still, it withstood the vicious breeze that came off the sea, making it a reasonably strong barn. _

_The child struggled to get the bucket into the barn, sploshing a bit of water onto himself. It took all his strength to lift the bucket up far enough off the ground to pour it into the trough for the sheep and cow. He stopped to rest, wiping sweat off his brow. It was too cloudy to let the sheep out, fearing that a storm would come soon. They didn't seem to mind, the fluffy creatures slurping down the water and wandering about the stall that they shared. _

_Deciding to take a break, the child sat down on a pile of straw that sat on the far side of the barn, snuggling into the mound. Only that the mound grunted and shifted. _

_The child yelped, jumping up from the pile. A pair of blue eyes blinked sleepily from between the strands of straw, settling down on the boy. They narrowed, the pile ceasing to move. He wanted to scream and run, but he saw something in the pair of eyes that stared back at him that prevented him. They held a look of fear, hidden behind a feign appearance of anger. Whoever or whatever was in the pile, it was fearful of him._

_"Chico, are you okay?" Antonio had heard the yelp, his green eyes gazing at the boy. _

_"O-oh, I'm fine. A rat startled me," the boy said, forcing a quivering smile on his lips. "It's gone, though." _

_The man looked at him for a moment before nodding and left. Sighing, the child turned his attention back to the pile, the eyes now holding a sense of confusion. _

_"Hey…" the child murmured, sitting down to get a better look at the eyes, his smile turning sincere. "Who are you?"_

* * *

Feliciano yawned widely, rubbing his eyes in hopes to wipe the remaining exhaustion from them. He wasn't used to waking up this early in the morning. He had been up most of the night watching the troupe perform, but then Elizaveta came running to he and Ludwig to tell them that they had a trial job. She explained it as a task that the Steward would give them and if done right, they'd be hired. She didn't get into details, only that she'd be there to get them in the early morning.

The Convolvuan turned his half open amber eyes to his friend, the Barbarian staring out of the wagon the troupe allowed them to sleep in, searching for any sign of the servant girl. "You woke me up too early…" Feliciano grumbled, sitting up beside Ludwig, his eyes fluttering shut as he let out another wide yawn. He received an elbow to the ribs at that.

"You're the one who wanted a job at the castle. You should take the consequences of your idea."

Feliciano's lower lip puckered out, but he couldn't argue back. Elizaveta came into view, seeming to be quite awake and alert. "Come on you two. I'll show you to where you'll be working."

Ludwig's job location wasn't too far away. In fact, he had been there multiple times. Elizaveta showed him to the stables, explaining that he had to clean it out and tend to the horses. "You will be working with only one other person, and he'll be here for half the day," she told him, sighing softly. "The Steward wants to see how you work without any help…"

Ludwig didn't seem to mind, and when Elizaveta led Feliciano away, he had already started his task.

"Um…it seems like this Steward guy really doesn't like us…" the Convolvuan murmured, following close to the servant as she led him into the castle and down a hallway.

"He's very precise when it comes to servants. He wants to know what they are capable of," Elizaveta sighed, shaking her head. "But he does it in such a terrible way. It's no wonder we get no servant anymore. Here we are."

She pushed open a set of double doors, leading Feliciano into the large room. Every wall was covered in bookshelves, floor to ceiling, with plenty of free standing shelves in the middle of the room. There were more books and scrolls than he had ever seen, and it was a bit overwhelming. He just gazed around, his mouth partially open, just taking in everything.

"You'll be cleaning the library. All the shelves and books need to be dusted off and put back in order." Elizaveta rubbed her forehead with a hand. "Lord Roderich's really trying to get you to fail," she mumbled under her breath. "Anyway, he'll be showing up tonight to inspect your work. No one's planning on being in here today and with most of the servants on leave to enjoy themselves at the fair and shows, you'll be by yourself for the day. Water and rags are in the room just across the hall."

Elizaveta left Feliciano by himself, still staring at the walls of books. There was no way he could clean all of this in one day. But, if he didn't try, then he would never be able to work here. Rolling up his sleeves, the Convolvuan went to work, starting on the far wall. The Steward didn't expect him to be able to read, that's why he wanted him to order them. Lucky for Feliciano that he could, otherwise the job would probably never even have gotten started. "He really wants me and Ludwig to go away…" A smile spread across his face. "Well, too bad! Mister Grumpy Pants will just have to deal with it!"

Feliciano worked hard, moving and stacking books, dusting off shelves, replacing the books. There were no windows in the room for him to judge how long he had been working, but he was starting to get a bit hungry. He thought about taking a break and see if there was any leftover food in the kitchens, yet quickly dismissed the thought. The Convolvuan knew that Ludwig was working hard and would never stop until the task was completed. Feliciano didn't want to be the reason why they couldn't get a job. But his arms were getting tired from lugging books and the disturbed dust made his eyes water, so a break did sound quite nice. He'd only take a short one, he convinced himself, stepping down from the ladder he had been using to reach the higher shelves and sat down on the floor, gazing about the room.

He wasn't even a fourth of the way done, barely passing onto the long wall opposite the double doors. He could see into the hallway, but no traffic was going through it. Yet, as he sat there, a soft pattering sound reached his ears. A small girl appeared into the doorway, glancing around before ducking behind one of the standing bookshelves. She didn't notice Feliciano sitting there until after she hid, her green eyes widening as she brought a finger to her lips. The Convolvuan didn't quite understand her motion before the sound of heavy feet came hurrying down the hallway. A guard appeared in the doorway and looked straight at him.

"Did she come this way?"

Feliciano froze, staring up at the guard. Why was the girl hiding from the guards? Was she a prisoner or something? She seemed too nice, though… Slowly he shook his head, and the guard called to another further down the hallway and disappeared down the staircase.

Slowly the girl creeps out of hiding, smoothing out her pale red silken dress. She seemed a bit too neat and clean to be any prisoner. She looked a bit like Ludwig- her hair only a shade darker than his and her eyes a forest green apart from his oceanic blue. The Convolvuan presumed that she had a relative that had been from the northern region, or at least close to it. The girl looked about half his age and a third of his size, maybe reaching his waist if he was standing.

"I-I'm sorry," she stammered, shifting nervously. "I didn't mean to intrude…"

A smile crossed Feliciano's face as the shock from being stared down from the guard faded. "It's all good! I was getting sort of lonely by myself in this huge place. It's my first day working and everyone just abandoned me."

The girl blinked, but seemed to relax. "Everyone gets busy… My brother is always occupied and there's no one my age." She sighed, but smiled up at him. "But you seem nice. I haven't seen anyone like you before." Suddenly she seemed quite intrigued by Feliciano, getting closer. "You're so dark!" she giggled, poking his olive-skinned cheek. "And you got a curly!" She reached up to touch it, but then pulled back. "Oh, I'm not supposed to touch the curly. Steward said so."

"Yeah, it's not nice to touch the curl," Feliciano said, amused at the young girl's interest of him.

"Have you been to any amazing places?" the girl questioned him. "I've always been in this city. Brother won't let me go anywhere. He thinks I'll get hurt."

"Sí, brothers do over exaggerate the simplest of things," the Convolvuan smiled, patting the girl on the head gently. She didn't seem to mind at all, her smile growing wider.

"You have a brother? Is he here?"

"No, he's in a different kingdom. I came with my friend."

"A friend? Is he nice?"

"He's a bit grumpy, but he's cool."

The two proceeded to talk to each other, appreciating each other's company. Feliciano learned through their conversation that the girl's name was Lily, and her brother was only a few years older than he was. She had to be in relation to the king of the kingdom, but such things were irrelevant to her. She even called the Steward a snooty cheapskate, which brought out a good laugh out of the Convolvuan. He told her a few things about himself and Ludwig, and their travels.

"You're really fun!" Lily said cheerfully, giggling. "Most of the others are grumpy and snotty. The only people I can even talk to without getting snapped at are my brother and Wizard."

Feliciano couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "Wizard?" Was he some cheesy magician like he had seen in a few cities, performing cheap tricks to earn cash? Or maybe he was a mythical being like the fairies?

"Wizard is nice, although he gets mad at Alfred all the time. And the Priests. The Priests and Wizard don't like each other very much…"

The Convolvuan opened his mouth to ask why, but a sudden cough caused the two of them to jump and look over at the door. The Steward stood there, his arms crossed, finger tapping against the inside of his arm. He didn't look all too pleased. Feliciano blinked at him. How long had he been standing there?

"Convolvuan. Out."

Feliciano stared at him with wide eyes. H-he was getting kicked out? Slowly he rose to his feet, looking rather defeated. He felt a small tug on his tunic, and looking down found the forest green eyes staring up at him. "Sorry," she mumbled, her eyes trailing down the ground.

Feliciano smiled, patting her on the head, cringed at the deadly glare he was receiving from the Steward and scurried out of the library and down the staircase. He slowed down only when he reached the cool air outside. "It's already evening…?" he murmured, gazing up at the darkening sky.

"You're out already?"

Feliciano jumped at the voice, snapping his amber eyes around to see Ludwig standing beside him, obviously waiting for him. "The Steward just went in to see how you did your job."

_His job. _The Convolvuan's heart sank straight down like a rock, his face falling. "O-oh…" was all he could squeak out of his throat. He had been to engrossed in talking to Lily that he had completely neglected his job. He didn't realize it when he was in the library, reality only settling in now. He had thought the Steward was mad at him for talking to a noble's child, but it actually had to be because he didn't do his job.

A hand fell onto his shoulder, the Barbarian gazing down at him, although his eyes held a sense of sympathy. "It's fine. I didn't think he'd keep us long." He turned his eyes to the troupe, watching them clean up. The event had ended about an hour ago and they would be packing to leave in the morning. "We should go help them in thanks for letting us go with them all this way."

Feliciano only bobbed his head in agreement.

Yet it seemed that God was not on their side that day. One of the jugglers had hurt their hand in their last act and was resting it while the others put their gear away. A few things had been dropped or misplaced, and they had to clean up whatever mess the visitors left behind from their showings. A wagon wheel had cracked to the point of no return and Ludwig helped Oliver and another of the group replace it. In the middle of it all, several guards showed up, along with Sir Alfred. And they did not look too pleased either.

* * *

Translations:

Italian: Fratello- brother.

Spanish: Chico- boy

Thanks for the reviews guys. I hope this chapter drops a bit more clues.

New character is Lily (Liechtenstein).

FINALLY SOME PLOT MOVEMENT. I hope you guys are excited as I am, because as a treat, Chapter 7 will be coming out anytime between the next hour to the next three hours, depending on how motivated I am. This is because I will most likely won't be able to type anything tomorrow due to my schedule. So hang tight, guys, this flight to Plot Land is only just beginning to take off.


	7. Chapter 7

_"Vadoalla stalla!" The boy called as he hopped from the chair. _

_"Why?" his brother snapped, his eyes glaring at him from over his plate of beans. _

_"I forgot to shut the door." It was the truth, he did forget to lock it up for the night, but there was something else that he wasn't saying. _

_"Venantes de que llueva" Antonio said, his eyes on the plates he was washing. _

_The child nodded and escaped outside. The wind had picked up, the cool breeze coming off the sea causing the boy to shiver and pull his hands closer to his chest. He made his way to the barn, nervously looking at the darkening sky. Hopefully the rain would hold for a little bit longer._

_Stepping into the barn, the child immediately went over to the pile of straw. "I'm back," he said, smiling at the mound. "I brought you some bread." He pulled out the small loaf he had been able to swipe from the table when no one was looking from the inside of his tunic. "It's a bit stale, but it's better than nothing." _

_The straw stirred and a mass of blonde hair peeked out of the mess. The blue eyes blinked at the child, shifting from the piece of bread to the boy. Slowly a hand reached out, snatching the bread quickly from him as if he was going to change his mind at the last second. The bread and the hair disappeared back into the straw. _

_The child's smile faltered slightly, sighing and sitting down, his amber eyes focused on the spot where the eyes had been. "You're not from this region, aren't you? You don't look like Antonio or Nonno or anyone…" He wrapped his arms around his knees, frowning. "You must be lonely being here." _

_There was silence. It really seemed like the person in the straw didn't want to talk. Then, slowly, a hand came out, holding out a piece of bread that had been torn off. It offered the piece to the child, who blinked, then slowly took it. He had already eaten, but if it made the person happy for sharing, he would take it. "Grazie," he murmured, nibbling on the stale crust. Maybe this was this person's way of showing his gratitude…? _

* * *

"Alright people! Stop what you're going!" The knight's voice ringed clear over the heads of the troupe, causing them to quiet down and stare at him. Oliver approached the knight, his brows knitting together. "What is wrong, Sir Knight?"

Alfred scowled at Oliver, his blue eyes narrowed in on him. "What's wrong? Things have been stolen! That is what's wrong!" He snapped his fingers, gesturing the guards on each side of him to go to a wagon. "We need to search your wagons, your person, everything."

"But, what's been stolen?" one of the troupe asked, the man stepping up beside Oliver. The guards had pushed passed the others and were already pulling everything out of the wagons, dumping them onto the ground. They turned bags upside down and shook them out, tossing the empty bags aside when they were done.

"A lot of things," Alfred growled.

"And a few more have gone missing as well."

The knight looked over to see one of the priests walk over. He was an older man, his hair graying, a serious frown present on his lips. "A few of the Church's golden candle holsters are gone."

The troupe glanced around at each other, murmuring. Feliciano looked up at Ludwig. "Why would someone steal something from the Church…?" he whispered. Ludwig only shrugged. The Convolvuan knew that none of the troupe would ever steal anything. They put too much time into their act to steal. It saddened him to even think that these guards would even suspect them of theft.

Two of the guards came back from searching their designated wagon empty handed. So was the second search team and their wagon. One of the guards from the third, however, approached the knight holding a worn bag. "Look in here, Sir," he murmured, opening the bag for the knight to examine. Alfred's furrowed brow rose in surprise, then fell down into a serious look.

"Well well, looks like someone's been diving into the books," he said, pulling out a leather-bound tome from the depths of the bag. "What do you do? Look at the pictures?" He flipped through the pages, sneering slightly. Feliciano stepped a bit closer to Ludwig. That was his bag. They had found his secret stash of books. He had been given a few over their travels as payment and he spent his time reading and trading books for different ones, just to keep his reading supply fresh. Yet what made the Convolvuan nervous was that that book wasn't the ones he traded in. It was a manual for different kinds of sprites and legendary beasts with his own additions and notes on the sides. He used it to show a picture of what he saw to Ludwig and made notes of what his friend told him about the ones he could see.

The knight's expression faded from a sneer to a look that Feliciano couldn't explain. The book snapped shut as Alfred looked up at the group. "Who's bag is this?" Then there was no reply he repeated, only louder and with a harsh hiss at the end. Feliciano began to quiver, just wanting to hide completely behind Ludwig as he slowly raised a shaky hand. Alfred snapped out, grabbing the smaller man by the wrist. "You're coming with me." He shoved the bag and the book into the Barbarian's arms. "And you too."

Feliciano couldn't do anything but be dragged away by the knight, the priest calling to him about his sudden outburst. Ludwig was tense, but followed after them, putting the book gently back into the bag.

"U-um, where are we going…?" Feliciano asked hesitantly as the knight pulled him down many flights of stairs and hallways. The knight didn't say anything, only leading him further downward. The hallways they went down were cold and damp, lit by a torch every now and then. He could barely feel his toes anymore.

Soon they approached a closed door, light seeping through the crack underneath. Alfred just barged in without even knocking, dragging the Convolvuan into the room. He was greeted by books and strange bottles and jars, pants growing in small pots and animal bones. It seemed rather cluttered, but warmed by the crackling fire in the hearth in the corner of the room. Two people were already in the room, one of which he recognized, and likewise.

"Curly Man!" Lily jumped off the chair she had been sitting in and ran over to him, wrapping her small arms around his waist.

"O-oh! Hello Lily!" Feliciano smiled, his nerves settling down slightly as he patted her on the head. The other person in the room was a man a tad shorter than the knight, his hair a similar dirty blonde but green eyes close to that of Lily's. He wore a black cloak that hid his clothing, although it couldn't hide the rather large, bushy eyebrows on his face. "Curly Man! This is Wizard!" Lily said, pointing over at the cloaked man.

"My name's Arthur, not Wizard," the man grumbled, but didn't have the heart to tell the girl directly. "Why the hell did you bring this bloke here?" he snapped, turning his eyes to Alfred. The knight reached into the bag that Ludwig held and tossed the book onto the table.

"That," he said simply, crossing his arms as he watched the man open the book to look at.

"You took it for the pretty pictures, didn't you, Alfred?" Wizard asked, raising one bushy eyebrow as he flipped through the pages.

"Pretty much," the knight admitted, shrugging. "They're those funky monster things you say you always try to keep from entering the city."

"Yes, well, if you weren't so much of a dolt, you would've notice the writing." The green eyes turned to the Convolvuan. "You wrote these notes, correct?"

Feliciano glanced over at Ludwig nervously before nodding slowly.

"What's so important if he wrote it?"

"Alfred, are you that dense? There are many bells going off in my head, as should any normal person. For one, this is a book about sprites. Two, it's a book about sprites in the possession of a commoner. Three, a book belonging to a commoner that is written in the language of the Church and his notes are also written in the language." The piercing green eyes turned to Feliciano. "Who taught you?"

"Ve, my Nonno." He was shaking, nervous as he was being pressed into a corner. These people that he didn't know were prying into the side of him that he liked to keep secret.

The man frowned. Apparently that wasn't a suitable answer. "Your 'Nonno'? Unless your 'Nonno' happened to be a Priest, that is very unlikely. Now tell me, how long have you seen these things?" He tapped a finger on a picture in the book, his green eyes burrowing holes into the short man.

"U-um…ve..well…for a long time…"

"Wizard, you're making him shiver," Lily piped in suddenly, frowning at the Convolvuan. She tugged on his arm, trying to get him to enter the room. "Sit down!"

"I-I can't…" he murmured quietly.

"Why not?"

"I-I-I can't move my legs."

* * *

Translation:

Italian: Vado alla stalla- I'm going to the barn

Grazie- Thanks

Spanish: Venantes de que llueva- Come back before it rains.

This chapter is a bit short, but it's got some stuff to it. Like a cliffhanger. *cough* Anyway, we finally meet Wizard! (England) No, he's not the king. He's kind of the magician, only cooler. Must be the eyebrows.

I promise historical references and magical creatures will come back, although the former will probably be sparingly and the latter will be overflowing. Maybe in the next chapter on Thursday will have them.


	8. Chapter 8

_For the next few days the boy smuggled food into the barn for the stranger in the haystack without drawing suspicion from his brother or Antonio. Every time he went in he saw a shadow dark from the corner of his eye and the rustling of straw, finding the person back into hiding in the pile. At first he didn't even let himself be seen while eating, but over time, the child saw more and more of his newfound acquaintance. _

_He had bright blue eyes, glistening like the depths of the sea, an icy cold sea. His hair was more golden the straw that sheltered him, long and in disarray. His hands were strong-looking, covered in dirt and scrapes. The little glimpse of clothing the child could get showed that this person had spent a long time without a change or a washing. _

_The child walked towards the barn, carrying a stray chicken he had chased down. He stepped into the doorway, hearing a familiar scuffling and rustling of hay. "It's just me," he called, setting the chicken down in the stall with the others. He approached the straw pile, smiling as the icy blue eyes peered out of the straw. "Here, I managed to get you some dried fish." The boy offered it to the eyes, a dirty hand receiving the fish and disappeared back into the hay. "I wish I could offer you more… but I'm already pushing at what I can give you…" The child sighed, before perking up, hearing a familiar call. "I have to leave now… Antonio is calling for lunch." _

_Brushing the dust off of himself the boy turned to the door, glancing over his shoulder. "I'll be back," he said, before rushing out of the door._

_Yet at lunch, Antonio seemed to be catching up on the child._

_"Feliciano, have you noticed that the food seems to be going missing?" _

_The child blinked up at the man, shifting uncomfortably. "Um...no…?" He glanced around, hoping to find something else to distract the man with. "Where is Lovino…?" That plan worked. Antonio frowned and rose up from the table. _

_"He's probably out causing a fight in town again. I'll go look for him. You eat your almuerzo and let the sheep out to pasture." _

_The child nodded, watching Antonio get up and leave. He nibbled at some of his food before taking his plate and fork, hopping down from his seat and sneaked out of the door and towards the barn. He was going to give his friend his first full meal since arriving._

* * *

Lily couldn't take no for an answer. She pulled on Feliciano's arm, trying to get him to move, but his feet remained planted to the floor. It was slightly amusing as Ludwig watched, although he hid his emotion behind a scowl.

"Dude, did you trap him in one of those freaky circles of yours?" Alfred asked, not even bothering hiding the smirk on his face. Arthur shot him a dirty look.

"If I did, this wouldn't be a problem," he snapped, only prompting a rather annoying, obnoxious laugh from the knight. They didn't understand anything about Feliciano. These people caused him to end up like this. Every time someone threatening appears or a conversation tries to dig too deep into the Convolvuan's personal life, he becomes so frightened that he becomes paralyzed. Every time that happens, Ludwig has to go save him.

"Don't pull on him," he murmured to Lily, who blinked up at the tall man with wide green eyes.

"But, he needs to sit down."

"He will, just give him time."

Slowly the girl let go of Feliciano, who remained standing there, shivering. His arms slowly wrapped around himself, as if trying to protect himself from an assailant. Ludwig sighed, patting his friend gently. He cringed at the touch, mumbling something in his native language to himself. Feliciano had withdrawn from the world and hid himself in his own little imaginary world. It was usual for him to do so, even if he wasn't being threatened. Still, he hadn't done so in a long time and Ludwig had hoped he had overcome the problem. Who knew how long it would take now for him to reverse the regression.

Ludwig turned his icy eyes to the two other men, finding them staring right back at him in silence. The knight's expression held a rather familiar look of 'Oh My God That Thing Can Talk' while Wizard contained his look to a slight surprise. It made the Barbarian wrinkle his nose and scowl at them. A person from the 'uncivilized' part of the Known Realm could learn the Common Language like anyone else. Yet Ludwig had to admit that he has yet to come across another Barbarian like himself. Rumors of them attacking villages bordering their lands spread quickly through the land, but rarely did one ever see a Barbarian unless they went up north.

Turning his attention back to the Convolvuan, Ludwig bent down slightly, gathering the smaller man up into his arms. Feliciano was stiff, but did not resist being carried and set down on a chair. His mind was elsewhere, his eyes fixated on the table in front of him.

"You seriously traumatized the kid," the knight's voice sounded, a laugh hidden as he reached over, jabbing the Convolvuan's cheek with a finger. Ludwig was about to snap out at the hand, but was beaten by the Wizard who elbowed Alfred in the ribs sharply.

"I did not! I just asked him some questions," the wild eyebrow man growled, glaring at the knight. It was hard for Ludwig to judge the mood between the two. They were friendly enough to stand side by side, but their words were acid, corroding any peaceful conversation between them.

"He does this sometimes," the Barbarian said, drawing the two's attention. He sat down in a chair beside his friend, watching him rock slightly, his fingers curled at something under his shirt. The scraping of chairs sounded as the knight and Wizard sat as well, Lilly hopping up into the knight's lap without any argument.

"What do you mean?" Wizard asked, his bushy eyebrows furrowing together slightly. "How long has this been occurring?"

Ludwig sighed, crossing his arms. He disliked talking about Feliciano when he was like this, but maybe some answers will come up in the discussion. "When he gets distressed he withdraws into himself and you get this." He nodded his head to his friend. "He's done this since his Grandfather passed. I don't think he really realizes that he does it."

"How do you even know how to talk?!" Alfred suddenly blurted out, his blue eyes set on the Barbarian. He shot back a dirty look.

"Just because I'm from the north doesn't mean I can't speak Common," he growled. "I haven't used my native tongue since I was child." That seemed to quiet the knight, although his silence was mostly due in cause of the Wizard digging his heel into the taller man's toes.

"I take it that this Grandfather is the same one who taught him the language of the Church," Wizard said. "Did you know him?"

The Barbarian frowned. "I did not have the pleasure of meeting him, but from what I have been told by Feliciano and some search; I have gathered that he was a very brave and noble warrior who met his end during the last Holy Wars."

At Ludwig's words, the knight's face lit up in excitement. "He was in the Holy Wars?! That's so cool! To go off and fight evil in the name of God…! I wished I was old enough then to fight!"

Wizard, on the other hand, didn't seem as excited. In fact, he tensed up at the very mention of the war, his jaw clenching, keeping his thoughts to himself. It was obvious to Ludwig that he didn't like the Holy Wars. He had to side with him on that. The wars had been fought across the sea in the south; all fought over religious pilgrimages or something along those lines. His facts weren't too clear, but what he had made the war very distasteful. The very thought that it was more than one war made it even more disturbing.

"Well then," Wizard coughed suddenly, trying to bring the conversation out of the war business. "His grandfather must've been an intelligent man. But back onto your friend. I find it very strange that he still sees Sprites."

It was Ludwig's turn to look surprise, or surprised in a sense that he twitched an eyebrow upward. "I find it stranger that you are called Wizard," he replied back, receiving a slight scowl from the man.

"My name's Arthur, not Wizard."

"Nope! He's Wizard! Because he is a wizard!" Lily suddenly piped in, a wide smile on her face. "He can make things fly around and it makes the Priests real upset and they yell at him."

"That is quite enough, Miss Lily." The Wizard patted the girl on the head, her mouth closing and bobbed her head.

"Can you use your heebie-jeebie magic to make him stop muttering?" Alfred sounded, looking over at Feliciano as if the Convolvuan was going to turn into some demon and lunge across the table at him at any second. The Convolvuan had his knees curled up to his chest, sitting awkwardly in the chair. He was still murmuring under his breath, but his amber eyes were now closed. His fingers were still wrapped tightly around something under his clothing.

"I can put him to sleep, but I can't force him to stop doing that," Wizard replied, frowning. "I could if I went digging into his memories to figure out what trigged this and perhaps why he still sees Sprites, but that would put him under more stress and he would most likely hurt himself and me in the process."

"What's so bad about seeing the fairies?" Lily spoke up once more, although it was in a quieter, uncertain tone, her forest green eyes gazing up at the knight whose lap she had occupied.

"What you can't see can't hurt you," Alfred said, putting on his best smile. His eyes hinted at a darker truth, but it was the best way to deal with the question coming from such a young child.

"For once, Alfred is right. Over time you'll see less and less of the mystical creatures that live around us. Some of those creatures are very malevolent of us humans and will do anything in their power to hurt us. However, there are only a handful of such creatures that can interact with people after they lose their sight of these creatures," Wizard explained, flipping through the book, looking at a few of the notes jotted down by the pictures. "Usually the only ones who can still see the creatures are those who can protect themselves against them, such as wizards like myself. However, this man has no power to protect himself, and his Barbarian friend can only do so much."

"Is there a reason why he can see them?" Ludwig felt the eyes turn to him, but he had to ask. He wanted to help his friend, but there was only so much he could do. He was no magician, and the ones he could see were generically benevolent or steered clear from civilization. Only hope in even helping Feliciano in the slightest rested on this man called Arthur, or Wizard.

"Well, I have to look into it," Wizard said, leaning back and biting his lower lip in thought. "There are several explanations for why he can still see Sprites and such, but I will need to question him, and that may take time if he continues to do this." He jutted his head towards Feliciano. "If you wish, I can cast a sleeping spell on him. He'll at least feel better in the morning. It would be best if both of you remain here in this castle until we figure this problem out. He could get killed if he continues traveling like this."

Slowly the Barbarian nodded. "I agree to your proposal," he murmured. "Just don't push him too hard."

Wizard rose to his feet, turning his eyes to Lily. "Miss Lily, can you go find Steward Roderich and bring him here?" Lily bobbed her head happily, hopping off the knight's lap and whisked away out of the door.

Wizard turned his attention to the shivering and muttering Feliciano. He walked around the table, resting a hand on the Convolvuan's head and bent low to whisper in his ear. Ludwig blinked, watching as his friend tensed up, then relaxed, his head lolling to the side as he fell into a deep slumber. He didn't have time to thank the man as Lily appeared into the doorway, beaming as the Steward followed closely behind.

"I found him!" she said cheerfully. "He was coming down this way anyway to look for Knight!"

"You left the troupe in a mess," the Steward snapped, his violet eyes glaring at Alfred. "And why are these two peasants doing here?!"

"Sir Roderich, these two are guests," Wizard said, gesturing a hand to the Barbarian and Convolvuan. "They are under my protection and will be staying until further notice. There will be no arguments," he said, cutting off the Steward's spluttering, his face reddening with anger.

"Fine," he snapped, crossing his arms. "I'll find a room for them. Follow me, then. Miss Lily too!"

"Aww! But I wanna stay with Wizard…"

"No buts. Your brother will be upset if you're not in your room on time."

Ludwig watched the Steward herd the small girl out the door. His tone of voice lost its sharpness when addressing Lily, although still holding its tone of authority. It was more of a sibling concern, though, rather than a noble talking down to another noble.

Not wanting the Steward to wait for them, Ludwig rose up quickly. He bent down, wrapping his arms around the Convolvuan's legs and shoulders, lifting him up into his arms. He was so small compared the large Barbarian, thin and fragile in his strong arms. He looked over at Wizard, nodding to him in silent thanks before turning and heading out the door, following the Steward down the hallway.

It was time to put Feliciano to bed.

* * *

Translation:

Spanish: Almuerzo- lunch

Holy Wars: Referring to the Crusades, in which the Pope was asked upon by the Byzantine Emperor to help take over the Holy Lands from Turkish rule. The fight over control in the region between the Christians and Muslims continued for years, but the First Crusade was the only one successful in recapturing Jerusalem from the Turks. Most of the other Crusades spread to part of North Africa as well as the Holy Land, and the Fourth Crusade sacked Constantinople and led to the fall of the Byzantine Empire and the Great Schism between the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. In total, there have been nine large-scale Crusades and several smaller ones.

A chapter of some explanation and Ludwig being treated somewhat as a human. I was kind of tired typing this up, so it may seem a bit...rambling... but hopefully it isn't too bad.

Feliciano's secrets will be coming to light in future chapters. What they are... well... you can only guess.

And I don't think Arthur will ever be called by any name other than Wizard. It's going to be hard for me calling him England after this story.


	9. Chapter 9

_The summer breeze had cooled to an autumn wind; the frothing caps of waves crashing into the shore bring an icy chill to them. The child shivered as he drew the coat he wore closer to his small frame. He did not want to go out, but he had to go to the barn to feed his friend. So far neither his brother or Antonio caught wind of the fugitive in the barn, but they have grown suspicious of something going on with the child's life and it had been getting harder and harder to slip food to his friend. _

_The boy turned his eyes to his caretaker, watching the tanned man wash the table off of crumbs from breakfast. Lovino had gone to town to get some more food, so there was one person he didn't have to worry about. But… _

_The child turned his amber eyes back out of the window, staring at the barn. It will get colder, and his friend couldn't stay out in the barn forever. Antonio or Lovino would eventually find him and most likely chase him away. He couldn't bear see the blonde boy wandering out in the cold without anything warm to wear. _

_Slowly, the boy turned, his eyes gazing at Antonio. This would be for the best, right? _

_"Um… Antonio…?" _

_The green eyes turned to the child, a smile appearing on his face. "What is it, Feliciano?"_

_"Can you…come with me to the barn…?" _

_The man blinked, tilting his head to the side. "Alright…? But-"_

_The child didn't wait for anymore questioning. He burst out of the door into the cool wind, scurrying towards the barn. Footsteps followed after him, telling him that Antonio had come after him. He slowed down as he approached the barn, walking inside. A shadow in the corner shifted, but did not flee to hide in the hay, used to the child's presence. But at the sight of the taller man, the shadow started towards the pile. _

_"Wait!" The boy grabbed hold of the blonde boy's wrist, his amber eyes staring up into the blue ones. "He's a friend." The eyes blinked down at him, then turned to Antonio. The man had stopped, staring at the blonde boy. He was taller than the child was, yet he was covered in so much dirt that it was hard to judge anything out of his appearance apart from his hair and eye color. _

_"So… this is what you've been up to." Antonio smiled softly, moving over to the blonde. The child felt his friend tense up, and Antonio noticed. He stopped, kneeling down so he was more at their eye level, his smile never fading. "It's alright. I am un amigo. I'm going to help you." _

* * *

The first thing Feliciano noticed as he stirred from his unconsciousness was that he was comfortable. Way comfortable. It wasn't sleeping on a mat or out in the grass; more like he was sleeping on a white cloud in the warm blue sky.

The Convolvuan cracked an eye open, immediately shutting it again as a piercing light blinded him. A few seconds later he tried again, tilting his head to avoid being blinded a second time. He found himself lying in a large bed, covered by soft, warm blankets. There was a wardrobe on the other side of the room, along with a small table and chair. A wide window was to his left, the silky blue curtains tied open at the sides by ribbon.

"You're finally awake." The voice startled Feliciano, snapping his eyes from grazing around the room to the doorway. He relaxed though at whom he saw.

"Elizaveta! It's nice to see you," he smiled up at her as she moved to his bedside, carrying a small tray with a bowl, steam curling off the contents. "How long was I asleep…? When did I fall asleep anyway…?" He couldn't really remember. The last thing he could place himself in was in a strange room filled with books and bones and a man with crazy eyebrows talking to him. He couldn't remember what the eyebrow man said to him either.

"You've been asleep since early last evening," Elizaveta explained, setting down the tray on a bedside table, revealing the contents of the bowl as stew. "It's a little passed midday now. I brought you some lunch if you feel up to eating."

A growling stomach was his response, followed by a sheepish blush. "Y-yeah…" he said, rubbing his stomach to quiet it as he sat up, leaning against the pillows. "The stew looks delicious."

Elizaveta smiled and handed the bowl to him. Feliciano did his best not to eat it too fast, but his stomach told his body otherwise and found himself wolfing the entire bowl down without really tasting the food.

"Don't you choke now," the woman said with a laugh, shaking her head at him. Feliciano bobbed his head, swallowing the last bit of stew before setting the bowl down into his lap.

"It was really good!" he said, beaming. "Thank you for bringing to me." A sudden frown crossed his face though as a thought popped into his head. Where was his friend? Usually Ludwig would never leave his side unless he was working. Why hadn't he woke him up this morning like the Barbarian usually does?

Elizaveta, sensing his worry, rested a hand on the Convolvuan's shoulder, a soft smile on her lips. "Sir Ludwig is with Sir Arthur and Steward Roderich, along with Father Cromwell for a meeting with the king. Apparently a topic of concern has arisen between the Father and Sir Arthur, and the Steward has something to pick with the wizard about you and Ludwig's stay here. Your friend was dragged along, it seemed."

Feliciano blinked down at his bowl, the frown remaining on his face. "I should go too," he murmured. "Ludwig isn't good at being part of a verbal conflict. I fear he will try to bring it to a physical conflict if they are not careful." He brought his amber eyes to look into Elizaveta's green ones. "Please take me to see the king."

The two walked in silence, Feliciano following Elizaveta as she led him down the corridors. A tapestry appeared on the wall every now and then, sporting a portrait of a relative or a scene of landscapes. As they traveled, muffled voices could be heard, faint at first, but soon grew louder and more audible with each step.

"Things are really getting out of hand," an older voice sounded, his words hinting at a stifled anger. "Both Father Westfield and myself have been called continuously by citizens whose houses have been destroyed by some malevolent spirit that we had to exorcize."

"That's nothing you can't handle!" a familiar voice snapped back, Feliciano able to put the voice to the bushy eyebrow man from the night before. "Some things do sneak through the barrier! It's nothing new!"

"Yes, but things have escalated in the past few days," the older voice replied back. "Even worse, things are being stolen and have yet to be found. Even items from the Church have gone missing."

"Some of the castle's treasures have gone missing as well!" a voice clearly belonging to the Steward shouted out, not even bothering hiding his anger. "This is not the time to be hording some new pet project and a Barbarian in the castle, Arthur!"

"Do I need to give you three sticks and let you beat each other?!" This voice was new, much different than the older voice. It seemed younger, younger than Arthur, even. The voice silenced the others, only hearing a mumbling of "No, your Highness," following the outburst.

Elizaveta decided to take this quiet moment to knock on the large oak doors she had led the Convolvuan to, opening it and stepped inside. "Excuse me for the interruption, Sirs, but I have brought Sir Feliciano."

The Convolvuan peered inside over Elizaveta's shoulder, gazing about the room. It was obviously a throne room, the ceilings sloping up and disappearing into the shadows. Large draping fabric lined the walls and floors. On the far side of the room sat a large golden throne, lined with emeralds and sapphires. In the seat sat a young man, not even older than Ludwig, his piercing green eyes glaring at the group under strands of blonde hair. He looked almost exactly like Lily, only his hair was short. That couldn't be the king…could it?

Feliciano's eyes turned away from the young man to look at the others in the room. A graying-haired man that he recognized as a Priest stood beside the Steward and Arthur. All three of them were doing their best to hide their anger for each other. Ludwig stood off to the side, his face red with fury. He was doing his best to keep himself from lashing out, Feliciano knew.

Swallowing, the Convolvuan stepped around the woman, a shaky smile appearing on his face. "H-hello…"

"Good, you're finally here, peasant," the Steward snapped, stepping forward to glare at the shorter man. "You and your _friend _need to leave this castle. Things are getting out of control and there's no room for you two troubles."

"Hey now, they're not trouble!" Arthur growled, crossing his arms over his chest. "They are under my protection so you stay out of it. They won't cause you any trouble."

"Like hell they will," the Steward glared over at Wizard now. "They were trouble the moment they stepped onto the castle grounds! The Convolvuan left the library in a mess!"

"The library is not the main problem. The problem we need to focus on is that things are getting into the city because Arthur cannot even keep up a simple barrier," Father Cromwell, or at least what Feliciano figured, said, his eyes narrowing over at Wizard.

"It's not my damn fault that the barrier somehow got weakened!" Wizard snapped at the Priest. "I got it back to normal yesterday and now it's full of holes again!"

"Just figure out something else!" the young man on the throne suddenly snarled, causing the three to jump. "Obviously there's something wrong with the magic barrier! Find something new and use it!"

"But Sir, that'll take too long!" Wizard seemed exasperated at this point, but did his best not to shout out at the very important man. "The barrier has protected this city for years now! We have to find the source of the problem first!"

"Only you can do that too, isn't that right?" the Steward sneered. "You're going to play hero again? Going to bring dear Alfred off to trot off to the swamps and forest and come back with all the solutions?"

Feliciano watched the argument go back and forth, frowning. Elizaveta had quietly exited, leaving the Convolvuan standing beside his friend. Ludwig looked too busy suppressing his rage, so Feliciano left him alone. His eyes wandered through the room, too confused in the conversation at hand to really be drawn into it. Amber eyes fell onto a figure in the far corner of the room, head bent low and scribbling something down. Tilting his head, the Convolvuan slowly moved away from Ludwig, wandering over to the figure and stood over him. It was a bit dark in this corner to really see who this man was, but it didn't seem to bother Feliciano.

"What are you writing?" Feliciano asked after a few minutes of watching the man write. A pair of scarlet eyes snapped up from the paper and stared into the amber pair, the scarlet seeming to slow in the shadows. A wide grin soon crossed the pale face, followed by an unusual laugh.

"Kesese! So you _can_ see me!"

* * *

Translation:

Spanish: Un Amgio- a friend

The king has been revealed! Although his name remains unknown as of now. It is Switzerland, though, so his name is pretty obvious.

Another character also appears! He's quite obvious as well, although if he is a good guy or bad guy, that will be told later.

I do read my reviews, but I cannot answer if the person from the very first chapter was a spirit or not. We'll have to see~


	10. Chapter 10

_"Why do we have to feed this stupid Barbarian?!" Lovino snapped, his arms crossed over his chest as he glared at the blonde boy sitting across the table at him, eating quietly. _

_"Because he is lost and needs some taking care of," Antonio said, smiling softly. "He's a child and needs to be taken care of, just like you two." _

_"He's nothing like us!" Lovino snarled. "Just look at him!" _

_Feliciano frowned as he looked over at his friend. Indeed he was different than them. His hair was a bright gold while theirs was brown, his eyes blue as the ocean while theirs amber or green. His skin was almost white compared to either of their well tanned flesh. He was taller than both the child and his brother. There was almost nothing similar between them, but yet, the child couldn't help but feel sorry for him. _

_Antonio had given him a bath and cleaned him up a bit, which the boy had to give some talking to with the blonde to calm him down. Even that couldn't be compared to. He didn't understand or speak any language they knew, not even Common. Everything had to be interpreted through drawing or gesturing with hands. _

_"Lovino, where are you going?" Antonio asked, frowning as the boy jumped off the chair. "Going to my room!" he snapped, disappearing into the room._

_"Habe ichetwas falsch gemacht?" The two turned to look at the blonde boy. He was staring at his food, his lips curled into a small frown. He lost interest in eating, looking dejected and forlorn. The child didn't understand what he said, but smiled at him anyway.  
"He's always like that." _

_The blue eyes traveled up to look at the smiling child, holding the gaze for a moment before picking up his fork again. The child made his decision then to help teach his friend how to speak if he was going to stay with them. _

* * *

Feliciano stared into the scarlet eyes, frozen where he stood. He could…see him..? What did he mean by that? He looked like a normal person, apart from those strange ruby eyes that stared into the depths of his own amber orbs. The red eyed man continued to grin at him in silence, unblinking as he gazed at him, amusement written all over his face.

It soon dawned on the Convolvuan that the whole room was silent. Their eyes were all fixated on the corner that he stood in too. Wizard was the first to break the silence, his words spluttering, almost in shock.

"W-what the hell are you going here?!"

"Kesese!" The strange laugh escaped the scarlet-eyed man once more as he tucked the paper he had been writing on into his pocket and leaned back. He pushed his legs out, using his shoulders to push himself up to his feet with an unusual sense of grace in his movements. "Your silly barrier is terribly weak! It was nothing compared to my awesome strength!"

"That's ridiculous!" Wizard snapped, obviously flustered by the man's words.

"Where is that voice coming from?" the Steward suddenly butted in, his brows knitted together in confusion.

The Wizard turned his eyes to the Steward, his green eyes wide. "What? You can hear him?!"

"Of course they can!" The scarlet eyed man was suddenly beside the group, his grin never fading. In the light, Feliciano could make out that this man was very pale, his complexion almost glowing in the flickering torchlight. His hair was a glistening silvery white, almost the same color as his favorite young horse he had adored since he had traveled with the troupe. He was about the same height as the Wizard, perhaps a hair taller at a certain angle. "I'm allowing them to hear my awesome voice! I am the amazing Gilbert the Mokoi!"

"Whatever hell it is, make it go away, Arthur!" The young man on the throne was standing, his sharp green eyes narrowed, although he could not see Gilbert. The Mokoi let out one of his strange laughs again and turned his scarlet eyes onto the man. "Ah, Vash, it's so nice to see you too. Is your little sis still around~?"

There was a sharp hiss, the man named Vash stepped forward. "Don't you dare lay a finger on my little sister!"

"Of course not! I wouldn't have the pleasure to see you squirm if I did that!" His smile twisted into a sinister grin. "No, I want to continue to see you writhe as everything around you crumbles to dust."

Wizard took a step forward towards Gilbert, his mouth opening to say something, but a thin pale finger pressed against his lips. "Shh, don't talk now. Daddy is in the middle of important business."

"I-I- you're not my father!" Wizard spluttered, but a pale hand soon covered his mouth, silencing him. "Hush young wizard, do what Daddy tells you to. And Daddy wants you to take a step back. Just a little bit." Wizard just stared at the red eyes, watching the Mokoi grin. His hand left the man's mouth, before both hands were placed on his chest and pushed him back.

Wizard stumbled at the force, triggering a dark glow on the floor. His back rammed into a shadowy shell, a bubble, encaging the wizard.

"Kesese! Now you're trapped, little wizard!" The pale man clapped his hands in glee.

"This is preposterous! Let me out!" A bright flash came from within the bubble, but it hit the wall and bounced back, smacking Wizard in the chest.

"Your magic cannot beat mine!" Gilbert giggled, dancing around the bubble. "I have devoured enough sinister magicians to overpower your every attempt! Now," The man snapped his fingers, the bubble darkening. Wizard's shouting was cut short, his lips still moved, but no sound escaped it. "You will be quiet now. You are not up to my awesome standards in taste, but perhaps I'll toy with you, as you toyed with me with your silly barrier, blocking me out of this city. That was so unawesome of you."

"You let my Wizard out!" Vash snapped, stepping further down from his throne.

"No~" was all that came from the Mokoi. He seemed to enjoying the angry looks, the fear in their eyes.

"Let him go."

The voice made Feliciano jump, as it did for the others. They turned their eyes to the Barbarian, his arms crossed over his chest. He had been quiet this entire time, and he looked like he was about to explode. Listening to an argument and now this mess had pushed him way over the edge of his patience.

Gilbert slowly turned, his scarlet eyes fixating on the sea blue eyes of Ludwig's, his smile remaining but weakening a little. "Oh? Why should I, _Barbarian_?" He hissed the last word, spitting a little. "Do you even know the awesomness you are speaking to?"

Ludwig growled. "I don't give a damn about your narcissist ass, even I could see you. If I could, I would have slammed your face into the wall already."

"Barbarian! Don't edge the demon on!" Father Cromwell hissed, but that only seemed to fuel the flames.

"A demon? He's nothing but a fairy. He puts on airs that make him appear strong, but he is probably just another lower being on the food chain in his freakish world."

"Shut up!" Now the Steward was snapping at the Barbarian, trying to silence him.

"No. I will not. I've been standing here since early this morning listening to you dolts bicker like old washerwomen after spending the entire night up. I'm tired, my feet hurt, and I'm in no mood to deal with this nonsense."

There was a quiet chuckle that caused the others to quiet. Feliciano's eyes flickered over to Gilbert. His smile had faded at the beginning, but now the corners of his thin lips were curling up again. Soon his chuckle turned into laughter, a cackle that made the Convolvuan's skin crawl. "I like you," he managed to breathe out, his smile never wavering. "Yes, I do like you, Barbarian. You have spark."

The Mokoi suddenly flickered out of sight from where he was standing. His arms draped over the large man's shoulders, his feet dangling a few inches off the floor. Feliciano could see his friend tense up, feeling the weight on him. "Perhaps you would like to come with the awesome me?" he purred into the blonde's ear, his lips twisting into another dark smile. "It could be fun~"

"No." Ludwig's blunt, sudden response caused the smile to disappear from Gilbert's face. He sighed softly. "Oh well, if that's the case…" Dark trails of shadow seemed to seep out of the pale man's skin, wrapping around the Barbarian's large frame. His eyes widen, his face curling into a look of pain. The others stepped away, fear crossing their expressions as they watched the Barbarian shake, trying to fight back an evil that they could not see, but only hear.

"Your death won't be as painful if you let it be," Gilbert purred once more, his smile back on his face. "Kesese! This is so much fun!"

Feliciano stood there, frozen to the ground, fear taking over him. He was watching his friend suffer, grunting in pain as he slowly sank to his knees, his skin turning as black as obsidian starting from his fingertips and quickly spreading. The Convolvuan could only stare as Ludwig's eyes watered from the pain, his teeth gritted as he tried to fight back, but his strength could not beat the power of the dark magic that the Mokoi wove.

_Throw me._

The voice snapped Feliciano out of his fear, his amber eyes flickering around to find the source. "W-wha-?"

_If you want to save him, throw me to him._

He could feel a warmth on his chest, a soft pulse rippling through him. His fingers fumbled at the base of his neck, shaking as they gently tugged at a cord that was tied around his neck.

_Facere nunc!_

The words drew out a feeling from Feliciano, courage that he never had in the face of terrorizing moments. Now wasn't the time to be fearful! He had to save his friend!

"Ludwig! Catch!"

He ripped the cord off his neck, using all his strength to throw the smooth object in his hand towards the Barbarian. He could see the blue eyes crack open, watching him throw. The blackness was already wrapping around his neck, creeping up his lower jaw. Gritting his teeth, he used the little strength he had left to lift his hand up just a few inches. The Mokoi didn't notice what the Barbarian was doing until the object was almost in his grasp. And by then, it was too late.

The silver key slipped into the man's large hand, making contact with his obsidian colored skin. There was a loud crackling noise, a yelp.

Then everything went white.

* * *

Translation:

German: Habe ich etwas falsch gemacht?- Did I do something wrong?

Latin: Facere nunc!- Do it now!

Mokoi- From Australian Aboriginal mythology. Mokoi are malevolent spirits that kill sorcerers that use black magic. They also kidnap and eat small children and cause accidents and disease in people to bring them to their untimely deaths.

I feel like my flashback are getting a bit too short. Oh well. They'll get better...

Also feel like I threw all the characters under the rug to make Prussia look bad-ass. Because he is. He's also a creeper, but we won't get into that.

Anyway, next chapter is going to be different. There will be no usual flashback, just for heads up.


	11. Chapter 11

This is a memory sequence, and it gets pretty bloody, so if you don't like that, don't read this then. But you'll miss a lot of important things.

Oh, you know that the summary says this story has an OC? Well, I lied. It has two.

WARNING: This is probably the longest chapter you'll get to read out of this story.

* * *

_Ludwig blinked, the white slowly fading from his vision. Yet, he wasn't where he thought he'd find himself. He didn't __**feel**__ like he was scene before him was an onslaught of bodies, ravages of a battle. Scarlet trails of blood trickled glistened in the moonlight, fresh and sticky. His eyes trailed to his hands, those shaky hands that weren't his own. Those hands dripping in the sanguine liquid. The hands rose up to his face, quivering, brushing the thin fingers against his face, narrow and smooth. A whimper escaped his lips, salty water trickling through his fingers, mixing with the blood. A storm of emotions took over him- fear, confusion, disapir. _

_"O Deus," he gasped out, curling his fingers around his hair, fighting back a lump that formed in his throat. The language was familiar, but it was not from his voice. It was a shaky, young voice, the sound of a scared teen. "Quid fici?"_

_Tears flowed out of his eyes now, his vision blurred by them. A sob escaped his mouth as he sank down to his knees. He pressed his forehead against the cracked earth, digging his fingernails into the back of his head as he cried out, a sorrowful, agonized sound._

_Through the sobs that racked his body, he could hear quiet footsteps approaching him, as well as several, heavier ones. He dared not to look up, the footsteps stopping. Murmuring. Then, the quiet set of feet moved towards him. He dared to pull his head off the ground, blinking tears to see. A woman stood in front of him, a silken midnight blue cloak draped over her slender frame. Her fingers were curled around a sword at her side, her green eyes gazing down at him._

_"W-what am I?!" he choked out, the salt water never ceasing their fall down his blood-splattered cheeks. _

_The woman looked at him, her sharp eyes softening slightly as she knelt down beside him. Her slender arms wrapped around his small frame, pulling him close to her. "You are a gift from God himself, my dear," she murmured, her voice soft as stroked his hair. He buried his face into her shoulder, sobbing as she murmured words that he didn't understand, but they seemed…soothing. Understanding. _

_His vision shifted, finding himself staring into a looking glass. The woman from before wore a velvet dress, the midnight blue fabric similar to her cloak from before. She had long, black hair that cascaded over her slender shoulders. Her fingers brushed through his hair, the charcoal gray strands almost reached the top of his shoulders. He stared at himself in the looking glass. The charcoal gray eyes stared back. _

_"Helena," his thin lips moved, the charcoal orbs moving up to gaze at the woman's reflection. "Why do we fight?"_

_There was a pause in the brushing, the woman's green eyes gazing down at him, a frown playing at her lips. "We fight because it is our duty," she said after a moment of thought._

_"What happens after we're done fighting?" _

_Another pause, longer this time. He watched her chew on her lower lip through the looking glass. "Then we go home."_

_He blinked, tilting his head. "Where is my home?" he asked. All he knew, all he could recall was bloodshed, the battlefield, a sword in his hand. He couldn't recall anything of him home, his childhood. Only the dripping streaks of scarlet. _

_Helena didn't seem to want to answer, as she rose up, putting a helmet over his head. "No more questions," she murmured, brushing the dust off her dress as she turned, facing the entrance of the tent that they seemed to be in. "There will be another battle shortly. You must get ready." _

_It was a blur of color and sounds, a sea of bodies and clinking metal. Roars of rage and screams of agony was the voice of this ocean, sparking blades was the rocks that the waves crashed upon. The water was tainted red, the scarlet liquid splattering over the blades and soldiers who fought the battle. His vision was nothing but a blur in itself, his emotions numb as his sword created more red to pool at their trampling boots. He fought because she told him to. So they could go home. And this would be the final battle._

_The tide of red soon waned, the stains on the bodies was the only evidence of its presence. He took a breath, relaxing his blade to point to the ground. The battle was over, they could go home, right? _

_A piecing pain erupted from his back, a crackling gag the only sound that managed to escape his mouth as blood clogged his throat. He found himself toppling to the embrace of the hard, cracked earth, his vision fading to black._

_He thought it was the end, but in the silence came voices. Whispers, murmuring of words that made no sense, but, he __**understood**__. _

_He felt something curl up inside of him, bubbling to the surface, and it was not blood. No, the pain had receded, being replace by a dark, sinister presence. _

_"This is my payment?" the words curled out of his lips, his fingers digging into the earth. "All the work I have done, all of this that I have done for you, my payment was death?" _

_His eyes opened, narrowed as he gazed into the wide green eyes of the woman above him. "No," she whispered, stepping back."You are dead."_

_A chuckle escaped him throat, an unearthly growl. "Killed by your hand, Helena." He sat up slowly, his bones cracking as he rose up. His shadow cloaked the woman, a dark, sinister shadow. _

_"Varinius, you must be mistaken," she said, a feign smile on her lips, yet her eyes held a fear he had seen all too well on faces of those of men who came before him in battle. Men who were sent to their slaughter." _

_"Υπηρέτησε τον σκοπό του, ο δαίμονας. Δεν υπάρχει τίποτα για αυτόν, αλλά για να πάει πίσω στην κόλαση ήρθε από." His lips twisted wider, the blood from the blow before still dribbling down his chin. "You betrayed me, Helena," he hissed. "All those years ago, you said I was a gift from God. But as I traveled and went to battle, I have heard many names given to me. Dybbuk, Erlking, and now, a demon, named by the woman who raised me. Named me. Betrayed me." _

_He didn't feel like himself. He felt like some presence was twisting him, edging him, fury building up inside ready to burst out. Helena and the other men were edging back, drawing their weapons. He bared his teeth at them, his shoulder hunching forward as he stepped closer towards them. "Now, let me repay you for your __**kindness**__." _

_He did not know where he was going. His mind was in a haze, his body swaying from side to side as he walked. He wasn't on the cracked earth of the battlefield anymore. Trees surrounded him, the flicker of moonlight peeking through the leaves above him. _

_He stumbled into a clearing, a trickling brook weaving through the roots and rocks. He moved towards it, almost tripping as he collapsed near its edge. He was shaking, almost scared to look at himself in the water. Slowly he leaned forward, gazing at his reflection. A charcoal gray eye peered at him, alongside another eye, completely void. There was no whites, no pupil, only darkness in that eye, that left eye of his. His face was splattered with blood, dust caked into the red trails that ran from his brow, dripped from his hair and showered his shoulders. _

_He raised a hand to wipe at the blood, but noticed something else was in his hand. A midnight blue cloak, torn and speckled scarlet was clutched in his fingers. He felt tears slip down his bloodied face, guilt clutched his gut, but he also felt… broken. The woman that had raised him, loved him, that he loved in return, deserted him. Perhaps this was the price she had to pay._

_"N-no," he choked out, plunging the cloak into the water, rubbing it fiercely in hopes to get the scarlet out of it. "She didn't deserve to die like this!" _

_Oh, yes she did._

_He couldn't help but think that. That woman knew what he was, but hid it from him, and used his ignorance against him. She had used him and left him to die. All he wanted to do was to go home, and have her love him. But, where was home?_

_He stopped in his furious scrubbing, staring into the rippling water. He was something that wasn't supposed to exist. Perhaps he was a Dybbuk, an Erlking, a demon. He was a monster, a beast that danced in the blood of his victims. There was no home for him. _

_The cloak slipped from his fingers, the current taking it away. Yet he did not seem to notice, staring into the two-colored eyes of his reflection, watching the tears wash a path through the cursed red. There was no place for him to go, no one waiting for him, unlike the soldiers that he slaughtered. No one was expecting his return, praying for him to come back safely. He was a cursed, vile creature, left to roam alone across the lands._

_He had to accept his fate. _

_He had lost track of time, the sun and setting that he barely noticed. Visions flickered through his mind, pictures of towns, villages, cities, forests and mountains. Yet no place welcomed him. The humans had long since singled him out as freak and chased him away. He killed a few that came across his path, left their blood to pool on the earth. He had found strange creatures living in the forests and on the tops of the mountains, creatures with wings and scales and fiery breaths. Yet they kept their distance, turning their backs to him when he tried to speak, hiding when he stumbled upon him. Even the ones with horns and claws disliked his presence, hissing curses at him as they scampered away. Some did attack, but he left them in the same state as the humans who dared to try to make him disappear. _

_He eventually came to rest in one forest, a twisting, winding forest that resided close to the ocean. He could smell the salty breeze that rustled the brown leaves. This part of the forest was dead, no creature dared to enter this cursed area. No one to bother him. Yet his vision flickered, gazing passed a few dense trees. A man had wandered into his part of the forest, a strange, tall man with earthy brown hair and a scruffy look. He had a bag strapped to his back, a cloak over his shoulders. A traveler, and a lost one at that. _

_He did not have hide before the man caught sight of him, a wide smile appearing on his face. "Salve! Me mittis ad urbem possit? Sum penitus amiserit!" His smile suddenly faded as he let out a sheepish cough. "I mean, 'hello, can you help me find my way out of this place?'" _

_A frown twitched on his lips, watching the man. What did he mean by the sudden change in language? Wasn't it normal to speak the first one? He let out a small sigh. This man wasn't worth killing._

_"Etiam, I will take you there." _

_The other man's eyes widened, before his grin came back. That silly grin. "Oh! You know the Church language as well!" Church language? _

_The man walked closer to him, his presence lighting the darkness of the forest like a bright beacon. It made things easy, when living things glowed like a candle in a dark room, especially ones with such confidence…_

_He noticed that the man suddenly stopped, and he soon realized why. He was in the man's light, and he could see that he was wearing the white mantle with the scarlet cross on it. The same armor he wore since he killed Helena. The man seemed a bit taken aback, but then grinned at him. "Oh, so you're a warrior too, huh? Glad that they finally sent us back home? These stupid Holy Wars need to stop."_

_He did not understand. What did he mean by 'Holy Wars'? The only thing he could do was bobbed his head deafly and turned, mumbling words to beckon the man to follow him._

_This man was a rather talkative one. He chatted on and on about the war, his future plans, his love life (with more than one woman) and on and on about his physique. It was getting harder and harder not to kill this man, but at least he didn't seem question him too much._

_Until that is, he mentioned his eyes._

_"Hey, you got some strange eyes, I noticed," the man said, leaning forward slightly as he walked beside him, staring into his face. "You had some accident or something?"_

_He felt the stinging pain of his nails digging into the palms of his hands, but he ignored the pain. "Silere," he growled, not realizing that he was baring his teeth now._

_The man's actions took him by surprise. He laughed and slapped him on the back with a hand. "Man, you're real funny. What's your name, anyway?" _

_His snarl faded, a frown now pressing his lips. His name… Well, he didn't really have a name, other than what Helena called him. "Varinius," he mumbled, before stopping at the edge of the forest. "We're here." _

_"Ah, thanks!" the man said, stepping out into the sunlight. Suddenly he turned and grabbed his hand. He stiffened, not liking how this man's powerful grip wrapped around his wrist. The man just grinned and put a silvery object into his hand. "There! That's for helping me! Well then, see ya!" _

_He watched the man leave, a mix of emotions bubbling up. He didn't know how to feel about this man. Slowly he turned, heading back into the dark embrace of the forest. Once safely inside he turned his two-toned eyes down to his hand, unwrapping his fingers from the object in his hand._

_"A key…?"_

_More time passed, the visions flickering like pages in a book. He did not know how long he remained in this forest alone, no other person entering his domain. He didn't call it home, but it was the only place that didn't try to attack him, this cursed little area of the forest. He wandered around mindlessly, his thoughts elsewhere, before a sound caught his attention._

_It was a sniffling, a whimper, the pattering of quiet feet. Something that wasn't supposed to be here._

_He went to investigate, a frown on his lips. Yet what he saw startled him. This person was tiny, curled up amongst a gnarl of roots. He had caught glimpse of some children when he traveled, but this… He was so small. _

_When he approached the boy, he noticed something else about him. His hair was an earthy brown, his face was the same shape as the last man that entered his area of the forest. Was it…a relative? Slowly he moved to the boy, noticing his fright. He couldn't possibly hurt this boy, not if he was the same as the man before. The man who gave him a gift without asking if he wanted it. _

_He found himself walking, but he wasn't alone. The child was curled up against his shoulder, breathing into the crook of his neck. The child was so light, so __**soft.**__ It was hard to let him go when he set him down on the grass at the edge of the forest. The boy's eyes were closed, his breathing rhythmic, the sounds of being asleep. He was cute, and the resemblance was striking. This child was related to the man before. He brushed a strand of hair from the child's face with a finger, staring into the round visage. Thoughts crept out of the depths of his mind, curling to the front. This child was more fragile than the sturdy man his relative was, and no one seemed to have gone looking for him. The child would grow up and face the harsh world outside, and he wouldn't survive._

_He made his decision there, his fingers already looping the key around the child's neck. _

_He was going to travel with this child, and protect him from whatever danger came his way._

* * *

Translations:

Latin: O Deus, Quid fici- Oh God, what am I?

Salve! Me mittis ad urbem possit? Sum penitus amiserit!- Hello! Can you direct me to the town? I am quite lost!

Etiam- Yes

Silere- Be Silent

Greek: Υπηρέτησε τον σκοπό του, ο δαίμονας. Δεν υπάρχει τίποτα για αυτόν, αλλά για να πάει πίσω στην κόλαση ήρθε από. - He served his purpose, the demon. There is nothing left for him but to go back to the hell he came from.

Dybbuk: In Jewish Mythology, a dybbuk is a malicious/malevolent spirit that possesses people. It is said to be a dislocated soul of a dead person. They are supposedly leave the body they possess once it has accomplished its goal to rest in peace.

Erlking: A malevolent creature that haunts forests and carries off travelers to their deaths.

Varinius: Means 'Uncertain' in Latin. Human name for the Papal States/Vatican City. He is my baby.

Helena: Named after one of the Byzantine Emperor's wives. She's the Byzantine Empire.

Byzantine Empire and Papal State's history together is very sad. Papal loved her, she grew to hate him because of what his boss did. He went off to war, he kind of went crazy, she hated him more. He killed her. It haunts him to this day.

Maybe if this story is complete, I'll write their story next. What do you guys think?

Also guest appearances are Grandpa Rome and little kid Italy.

I hope I didn't butcher this memory too much. I didn't want it to spew out **everything** but I wanted it to say something of a story.

Also, DON'T ask what Varinius is suppose to be. He's a basket case and I'll eventually come up with some lame excuse to never label him with an official name of mythology.

Lastly: Wootwoot. Got myself a picture for this story. Isn't it swell?


	12. Chapter 12

_It was well into winter, the frost coating the glass panes of the windows and an icy breath seeped through the cracks in the walls. Yet the small home remained warm, a fire crackling in the hearth. Apart from going out to feed the animals or venturing out to town for supplies, the two brothers, Antonio, and their new member of their family rarely ventured outside. The blonde boy didn't seem as affected by the cold as the others did, the tanned members of the group typically huddling by the flickering flames or wrapped up in blankets as they wandered around the home. Snow was silently trailing from the sky, gathering on the windowsills and blades of dried grass. _

_Days like these Feliciano spent most of his time talking to the boy. Or rather, he spoke while the blonde listened quietly. Over the days leading up to winter, the boy had said little apart from a few mumblings in his own native language and his name, but as the smaller child spoke to him more, he began to learn a few words of Common. _

_"Ludwig, can you help me get this jar?" Feliciano was standing on a chair, pulled up against the counter as the child reached up, his small fingers falling short of the jar of pickled cucumbers. The blonde nodded softly, climbing up onto the chair behind the smaller boy and reached up, able to retrieve the jar from the shelf._

_"Grazie Ludwig!" The small child beamed happily, hopping down from the chair, jar in hand as he set it down on the floor, opening it to help himself to some of the pickled goods inside. _

_The blonde just bobbed his head before a knock sounded. The child continued to eat the pickle, ignoring the noise, but then another one sounded, a more urgent rapping. _

_"Me voy, no seas tan impaciente." Antonio stepped out of the bedroom, a blanket draped over his shoulders. He seemed to have just woken up from a siesta. Yawning the man opened the door, his yawn cut short as a frown slipped onto his face. "Hannah, why are you here…? Shouldn't you be at the bakery?"_

_"I-it's Lovino!" Feliciano snapped his eyes up from his eating, his amber eyes gazing at Antonio. Even Ludwig turned his blue eyes to the door. A woman stood there, her brown her falling over her shoulders as she panted, her cheeks red from the cold and from the run. _

_"W-what happened to Lovino?" Antonio asked, his brows furrowing. "Did he get into another fight with the children in town again?"_

_"H-he did…and this time… he killed the boy."_

* * *

Ludwig felt someone shaking him, a worried voice echoing through his fuzzy consciousness.

"Ludwig! Wake up!"

He stirred, groaning at the pain that racked his body at the movement. He felt like he had been dropped from a tower and proceeded to be trampled over by a cavalry. He forced his eyes open, the blue gaze falling into the wide, fearful amber ones. Feliciano knelt beside him, his lower lip trembling.

"I-I thought you were d-dead…" he whimpered, tears trickling from the amber orbs. "Y-you were all still…"

Ludwig lifted up a hand to rest on the Convolvuan's shoulder, wincing as his muscles screamed at him in protest, causing his head to throb. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. His throat was parched and tight, as if someone had tried strangling him. He licked his lips and tried again, only getting a frail wheeze out of his chest.

A curse filled the room, causing the Convolvuan to jump and huddle closer to the Barbarian, shaking as he gazed at the source of the noise with fearful eyes. Ludwig turned his attention from his frightened friend to the scene behind the Convolvuan, just in time to see the scarlet-eyed Mokoi take a knee square in the face. The assailant appeared to have lunged up at the pale creature, his back to the two huddled beside the far wall to get any clear view of him. Ludwig had to guess it was a male- he knew of no woman who wore chainmail and hair as gray as charcoal and wildly kept.

The Mokoi staggered back at the impact, crimson blood splattering onto the stone floor as his hands snapped up to cover his face. "That's totally unawesome! You broke my damn nose!"

Wait, when could he see the creature? The Barbarian's brows rose in surprise, his lips pursing into a frown. Last thing he could remember was pain, his skin growing black as something latched onto his back, laughing in his ear, something he couldn't see. But now, he could see it. How was that possible…? More importantly, how could this man even touch the creature, let alone injure it?

He was snapped out of his thoughts when the Mokoi made his move. His hands lowered, a snarl on his lips as he leaped at the mantle-wearing figure, his fists sparking with magic power. The other man just sidestepped, letting the Mokoi fly pass him, drawing another snarl from the creature. It became almost an exotic dance, the flickering colors of different magic woven between the creature's fingers and the man twisting away to avoid making contact. The gray-haired man kept a hand on the hilt of a blade that was sheathed on his belt, but made no move to pull it out and use it. Blood speckled the floor as the crimson liquid continued to trickle from the Mokoi's nose.

Ludwig's eyes caught sight of the others on the other side of the room. The priest and Steward had formed a small wall in front of the shorter king. The two of them held the Wizard, free from his magical prison but clearly unconscious, holding him between the two to help form the barrier to protect their liege. The fight did not get near them, nor did it get close to the Barbarian and his frightened friend, but near the doorway, forcing them to remain inside the room with the quarreling duo.

A growl escaped the pale creature, his movements slowing as exhaustion sunk in. All the magic he had been drawing up and the charging, lunging, and throwing was taking their toll, and he still couldn't touch the man with the mantle. Through the struggle, the Barbarian could catch more of the gray-haired man's appearance. His mantle had a bright scarlet cross on the front of it, the leather boots he wore were worn and there was a hole in the heel of the right one, and his armor was a bit rusted. But what made the man stand out was that his eyes were two different colors- one as gray as his hair, the other a black void with no whites or pupil visible- and that he had the silver key that Feliciano tossed to the Barbarian around his neck. And it was glowing a bright, hot white.

The double oak doors suddenly burst in, guards clanking in with their armor and weapons. Sir Alfred barged in at the front. It was a wonder how they figured out there was a scuffle in the castle, but that question had to be pushed aside, as Ludwig saw the Mokoi took his anger and turned it on the sudden appearance of the soldiers.

Teeth bared, the creature turned, a ball of sparking energy forming in his hands before he launched the projectile at them. The action caused a sudden panic, the troops scattering, obviously unable to protect themselves from a magical attack. The move was blocked, however, as the mantle wearing man suddenly appeared in the trajectory, his arms thrusting outward. A circle of white appeared around him, a crackling noise as the black magic hit white, and sent the projectile backwards. It slammed into the wall above Ludwig's and Feliciano's heads, raining dust and bits of stone on them. The Convolvuan whimpered, covering his brown hair with his arms and cowering over the Barbarian, burying his face into the man's shoulder. It blurred the Barbarian's vision, now unable to see what was going on. There was shouting, and another crackle, a spark of white and black.

The dust settled quietly, Ludwig blinking the particles out of his blue eyes. The soldiers had split up- some were attending to the king, Alfred shouted at some as he sent them running out of the door. A few were standing in a semi-circle around the lone man in the middle, although they kept their distance, wary of the gray-haired man. The Mokoi was nowhere to be seen. Ludwig concluded that the creature had fled.

The gray haired man stood silent in the mist of the eyes upon him, his hands resting at his sides, no longer on his sword. The silver key's glow was growing dim, until it faded completely, returning the key to a normal silvery color. Slowly the man's hands moved, causing the soldiers to stiffen, but his movements were gradual, proving no threat. The thin fingers undid the buckle of his belt, sliding the sheathed sword off his waist and held it up. His fingers tipped forward, the blade rolling off and clattering to the floor. He was proving them that he was no threat.

"Take him." The words seemed to echo in the room, the voice of the king as he stepped out from around his body wall. His green eyes were narrowed, fixated on the strange man. He was obviously wary of him, a man who appeared so suddenly and used such strength against a creature that subdued the Wizard. "Put him in the cells, and keep watch."

The guards stepped into motion quickly. Although they were still scared of the man, and rightfully so, they couldn't disobey the order from the king. The man put up no fight, letting the men take him and drag him out of the room.

The sharp green eyes soon snapped over to the pair in the corner, Ludwig tensing up at the dark look. "And throw them into the prison too. There are some explanation needed for this disaster, and until Wizard comes around, they will be considered enemies of the crown until proven otherwise!"

* * *

Translation:

Italian: Grazie- Thanks

Spanish: Me voy, no seas tan impaciente- I'm coming, don't be so impatient.

Sorry for a shorter chapter, my brain has been racked with way too many ideas for more stories that my mind basically shut down. I hard a hard time typing this up.

The whole key thing will be explained, possibly in the next chapter or so.

I will probably be typing up another story as well, so if any of you are interested you can look up to when I get around to typing and posting it. It won't be like this one, more present day and with normal nation-y characters as we know them as.


	13. Chapter 13

_It was dark, and the snow continued to quietly fall to the earth. Antonio had left that morning, and had yet to return. Feliciano worried for him and Lovino. He prayed to God that this was just a big misunderstanding and his brother would return home safe and sound. Even though he was grumpy, the child knew his brother loved him, and he loved him in return. Neither of them would dream of having something hurt the other, even if they got on each other's nerves from time to time. _

_The child's legs swung back and forth, too short to reach the floor in the chair he sat in. He was wrapped up in a blanket, his amber eyes focused on the front door, waiting for his family to return home. His gaze flickered over to Ludwig, the blond child sitting in a chair beside him. He had told his friend to go to bed, but the silent boy had shook his head and remained vigilant alongside the child. He was glad for the company, and so the two sat there, waiting. _

_The suddenly burst open, bringing in cold and snow and causing the child to squeak in surprise. Antonio shut the door behind him, his face pale despite being flushed by the cold. "Feliciano," he breathed out, moving over to the child, kneeling down to be at his eye-level. _

_"S-si Antonio?" _

_"Feliciano, you need to listen to me. Your brother is in trouble, and what I am about to do will drag all of us into it." His words were shaking, but he did his best to remain calm. "I need you and Ludwig to pack a few bags with clothes, blankets, and food. Do not pack anything unnecessary. Dress warmly and go to the path that enters the forest. Wait there for me. Do you understand?" _

_The child was on verge of tears. Antonio's words were scaring him. Where were they going? What was he going to do? Yet he fought back the tears and bobbed his head vigorously. "Bueno," Antonio murmured, kissing the child on the forehead. "Be swift about it." With that the man rose up and hurried back out into the cold night._

* * *

They had been sitting in the prison for what seemed like forever. A quiet dripping echoed through the hallways, the only sound in the prison apart from their breathing. Feliciano wrapped his arms around his knees, tucking his legs close to himself for warmth. The cool, damp air was seeping through his clothes, stealing his body heat. Amber eyes flickered over to the other corner to the large man that occupied it. The Barbarian was asleep- how could he sleep through this? They had been thrown into prison without doing anything wrong. Shoved into this cold, wet hell without any food or blankets to keep warm, without any word as to when they were going to get out. Yet…they hadn't struggled.

The Convolvuan sighed, resting his chin on his knees as he let his eyes wander to the barred doors across the small walkway. He couldn't see the occupant in the dim light, but Feliciano knew that the gray-haired man was in there. He didn't know where he came from. A voice told him to throw the key, and then a light blinded him… and there stood that man, the key around his neck. Somehow, the man was familiar, yet the Convolvuan couldn't put his finger on it. He had gotten that silver key from… Where had he gotten it from?  
He couldn't remember.

Yet, it seemed… okay, that the man had it. Feliciano didn't know why, but the key seemed to suit the one charcoal, one black eyed male. It was as if a weight that he didn't know he had been carrying had been lifted from his shoulders. The Convolvuan felt light, free from a burden that had been pressing down on him for a long, long time, a burden that wasn't meant for him.

He didn't understand why.

But that was alright.

Footsteps echoed down the corridor distracting his thoughts. The Convolvuan snapped his eyes from the prison door across from him towards the direction of the footsteps. Slowly he unwrapped his arms from his legs and moved over to the door, pressing his face against the bars, hoping to see who was coming his way. Perhaps it would be someone to let them out?

A pair of green eyes appeared in front of him, causing him to fall back with a yelp. The girl giggled. "Curly man! I scared you!"

"Y-yes you did Lily." A smile formed on Feliciano's lips as he straightened back up. "You sure did startle me."

Another person appeared; the Convolvuan's smile widening as he gave Elizaveta a small wave. She smiled back, setting a tray down with three plates of steaming food. "I heard what happened. It appears that this is a misunderstanding. I hope they will let you two out soon." The servant passed the plate through the bars into Feliciano's awaiting hands.

"I hope so too!" he said cheerfully, pulling the plate close to him, enjoying the heat the wafted off the food. "Ludwig is asleep. He's been a bit out of it since then." He took a bite out of some warm bread, smiling happily. He swallowed before looking over at Elizaveta, a look of concern crossing his face. "How's Wizard?"

"Wizard is up!" Lily piped in, answering the question before the woman could open her mouth. "He was told what happened and he went locking himself up in his room, muttering and wizardly stuff." She beamed, looking like she had just recited some very important message she was told to deliver word for word without help.

Feliciano raised an eyebrow. He didn't know what Wizard was doing, but if he was up, that meant he was better. That was good.

He watched Elizaveta slide the second plate into the cell, for Ludwig when he woke up. Lily grabbed the third, turning to the cell behind her. "Here you go!" she said cheerfully, pushing that plate into the cell. "Eat up, Ash man!" Ash man? Feliciano raised an eyebrow at her nickname. She probably could see the occupant of that cell better than he could, as she was closer.

It seemed that the man didn't move, the plate steaming quietly by the door. Then there was a clinking of metal links as the man slowly slid into view. He almost looked like he had been in there for years, his mantle tattered and smeared with blood and dirt, his face thin, narrow, his flesh pale. His dual colored eyes gazed at the plate for a moment, glancing up at the smiling Lily, then back down at the plate. He lifted a hand, reaching out for the plate, but instead of pulling it in, he pushed it back out into the walkway.

Lily's face fell.

"Aww! Ash man, you need to eat!" she whined, pushing the plate back into the cell. The man didn't respond, his face blank of any expression as he stared at the child. Lily frowned up at him. "Are you sick? Do you need some icky medicine?" The man continued to stare at the child.

"Lily, you shouldn't bother the man," Elizaveta murmured, gently pulling the child away from the gray-haired man's cell door.

"But, what's his name?" Lily gazed up with wide eyes at Elizaveta before turning her puppy-like gaze at the lone prisoner in the cell. "What's your name?"

There was silence. Feliciano watched the man's face as a frown slowly crept onto it. His brows furrowed, the black eye seeming to grow darker as the gray one held a hidden sorrow. "My…name….?" The words were barely a whisper, hoarse from lack of use, yet it contained a softness that had been well ignored. The man curled back into the shadows, the clinking of links notifying his movements. He was quiet for a bit longer, and the girl decided to speak again.

"Yup! Your name, what is your name, Ash man?" She wiggled out of Elizaveta's grip to move closer to the bars, peering into the darkness inside.

There was a pause, before the man in the shadows spoke one word. "Varinius."

That seemed to be sufficient for Lily, as she beamed and stepped away from the door. "Okay!" She turned back to Elizaveta, beaming. The older woman shook her head at the young child, but said nothing of it.

Feliciano tilted his head but went back to eating his food. He pushed the plate back out, smiling. "Thanks for the food! It was delicious!" Elizaveta smiled back, putting the plate back onto the tray.

"You are lucky I heard you two were down here. Few people ever get sent down to the prisons. You would've starved." A sigh escaped her lips, a frown crossing her expression. "Everyone is upset over this. No one knows what to think. The Steward blames you two, yet others dispute his words."

"Wizard will help you!" Lily squeaked happily. "I know he will!"

Elizaveta patted her on the head, smiling before standing up, tray in hand. "I will come down in the morning. I hope I will have some good news when I return."

"Si, so do I."

* * *

So, things are moving along. Wizard will show up in the next chapter and things will get explained- at least a little bit. I got little to say for this chapter. I'm glad there are some people reading this (700 views and 200-some odd visitors so far, yay!) and I appreciate the reviews.


	14. Chapter 14

_Feliciano shivered, his eyes blinking around through the snow that drifted down. The forest was eerily quiet, and it scared him. His fingers tightened around Ludwig's hand, huddling close to him. His other hand was around one of Antonio's fingers, which he held with an iron grip, as if he was going to lose the man in the snow. He and Ludwig had followed Antonio's orders, packing up supplies and putting out the fire in the hearth before setting out to wait in the snow. The taller man had come running soon after they got to the edge of the forest, a large mound pressed against his shoulder. The mass, in closer inspection, was Lovino, bruised and asleep. _

_They had entered the forest without a word, the taller man leading them to who knows where. Feliciano licked his chapped lips, opening his mouth to speak out a hush whisper. "Where are we going?"_

_The taller man sighed, his green eyes gazing down at the small boy, his other hand under the still sleeping Lovino. "To my home," he murmured. "To Spalera."  
That had been three years ago. Spalera was just as warm as Convolvulus, only that it rarely did snow. Here it was warm flowing meadows and winding rivers. A warm , happy place. Lovino had said little of what happened the day they ran from their home, but he remained grumpy as ever. In the spring of that first year, Antonio had gotten word that their Nonno had died in battle. Feliciano had been heartbroken. Lovino remained sour, but he supported his younger brother. _

_It was summer now, the sun at its highest. Feliciano gazed up at the blue sky. He rolled over to his side, blinking up at his blond friend that sat beside him in the grass. "Hey Ludwig?" he asked, tugging on the young man's shirt. "You think Lovino will come to visit us today?" His brother had left that spring for work, saying something about going to sea or on a boat or something. _

_Ludwig's sea blue eyes turned to gaze down at the shorter boy. "He will be busy," he said simply. _

_"Yeah, I know," the other sighed, rolling onto his back again. They were quiet for some time before he spoke again. "You know, we should get jobs ourselves." _

_"What?"  
Feliciano sat up, beaming at the Barbarian. "We should get a job! We can't freeload off on Antonio forever! We can travel the world, see all the cool sights, and work to earn our next meal! We can visit the kingdoms, try out all their delicious food, see their lovely ladies, things like that! It'll be fun!" _

_Ludwig blinked down at his friend, before a small smile crept into the corner of his lips. "Perhaps we can go to my homeland along the way."_

_"Si! Si!" Feliciano jumped to his feet, clapping his hands together. "We can see everyone's homeland! We can make great friends, see all the strange creatures! It will be an adventure, just like the ones Nonno told me about!" _

_Ludwig rose up to his feet, patting the shorter man on the shoulder. "You should go talk to Antonio about it first. We shouldn't up and leave with a note like Lovino did." _

_Feliciano bobbed his head, racing down the grassy slopes, laughing happily. "Ve! Adventure awaits!"_

* * *

Ludwig sighed as he stared at the dark ceiling above him. Judging by the number of times Elizaveta appeared with food, it had been about six days since he and Feliciano were thrown in the prison. Six days of one meal a day and no word of what was going to happen to them. The servant woman always came down with a smile and words of encouragement, but the Barbarian could see that she was starting to lose hope. Wizard had apparently locked himself in the library and hasn't come out since. He was their only hope in being free of this dank cell.

The Barbarian lowered his eyes to the sleeping Convolvuan, the shorter man curled up against his friend, his head resting in his lap. He shivered every once in awhile, the cold stone stealing any warmth he had. Ludwig wrapped an arm around his friend, pulling him closer. Even his clothes were cold. Unlike the Barbarian, Feliciano wasn't used to the cold. Winters were short and barely cool enough to snow in his home kingdom. Ludwig's home, he could remember clearly, had harsh winters. Further north one went, the longer and fiercer the winters become.

A door opened and footsteps echoed through the quiet prison. Ludwig gently nudged the Convolvuan, watching him stir awake. He knew that his friend didn't want to miss eating warm food. He unwrapped his arm from Feliciano as the man sat up, blinking his amber eyes sleepily before letting out a wide yawn. A sleepy smile appeared on his lips as Elizaveta came into view with her usual tray of food.

"Hello Eliza," he murmured, getting up to move closer to the door. Ludwig grunted and followed suit.

"Good morning," she replied as usual, setting down the bowls of soup and pushing them through the gap in the bars. Feliciano took the bowl happily, hugging it close to himself for warmth. Ludwig took his, though not as eager as his olive-skinned friend.

"Any news on us yet?" the Convolvuan asked between mouthfuls. Elizaveta sighed, pursing her lips into a thin line.

"Not really. I haven't asked since last night, and no one seems willing to say."

"Oh." Feliciano's happy expression fell, staring sadly into his almost empty bowl as the servant turned to push a third bowl into the cell behind her. Ludwig frowned as he watched her. He hadn't seen the prisoner in that one even touch his food or move at all.

A sudden banging of wood on stone jolted the Barbarian from his thoughts. Even Elizaveta was startled, her eyes turning to look down the hallway. "S-sir Alfred!" she stammered, rising to her feet. "W-what are you doing here?"

The dirty blond male stopped in front of the cells, several other guards accompanying the knight. "We're bringing the prisoners up to the throne room," he said, although rather flatly. "Wizard Arthur claims he has found information that is very important." He gestured for the guards to open the cells, roughly dragging the Convolvuan and Barbarian out of their cell. Ludwig gritted his teeth, but didn't fight back. He disliked being handled like this without someone getting their nose broken.

Two more guards entered the other cell, both dragging out the charcoal gray haired man from within. His face lacked emotion, his two colored eyes just staring straight ahead of him, not looking at those around him. His eyes seemed to unnerve the two guards that held him, Ludwig noticed, as they kept themselves as far away from the man as possible without letting go of him.

The knight led the guards and the prisoners up the stairs and through the hallways, the only noise present was the stomping of feet and the clinking of metal armor. They were brought to the familiar oak doors, the knight pushing them open and letting the prisoners inside.

The young king sat in his throne, looking rather disgusted with the whole ordeal. The Steward stood beside him, his arms crossed, looking just as disgruntled. Wizard stood off to the side, alongside Father Cromwell. Both held armful of books and scrolls.

"Can you _please_ tell us what the hell's going on?" the young king snapped, his green eyes narrowing darkly. "Why is it so damn important to bring these _prisoners_ up here?" He sneered the last part out, a growl escaping his lips.

"Yes, Your Highness, I can explain." Wizard stepped forward, letting the books and scrolls fly out of his arms and float around him in a circle. "I can explain why the barrier had been weakened previously, as well as tell you about something quite fascinating that myself and Cromwell found."

"Skip the political drabble and spit it out," the king snapped, waving a hand as if to brush off something disgusting out of the air. Wizard straightened up, nodding.

"Very well." He took a breath before continuing. "The barrier was weakened because of the key," he said, pointing at the silver key that hung around the strange man's neck.

"What does a key have to do with this?" This time the Steward snapped out, agitated.

Wizard gave him a dark look, opening his mouth to possibly say something smart, but the priest beside him stepped in.

"The key isn't normal," Cromwell said, setting down the pile of books in his own hands and picked up a few scrolls, unrolling them to peer at the contents. "We both believe that the key is none other than one of a set, known as the Keys of Saint Peter." He turned the scroll around, showing the others a coat of arms sketched into the paper. "The keys are part of the symbol of the Church, and are written to have vast power. Yet, there has been no record that the keys actually existed."

"Until we found this," Wizard stated, snagging out another scroll. This one appeared much older than the others, and Ludwig noticed he picked it out with much care, as if it would crumble. He gingerly unrolled it and read off what had been written there.

"One fights for a God he does not know

Another believes but does not care

Good intentions were twisted for an evil purpose

While evil purposes enshroud good intentions.

To the first, silver was given

Though second best, its strength is unmeasured.

To the second, gold was his gift

Considered first in wealth, it is the softest of metal.

Weak are they separate

Together, their power is unmatched

Combined, they will open the Gates

Revealing the Kingdom of Heaven."

Wizard rolled up the scroll, his green gaze lifting to look at those staring at him. Yet the first person to speak was not him or the king, but rather the man who had been silent for six days.

"The Kingdom… of Heaven…" the charcoal haired man whispered, his fingers wrapping around the silver key.

"How did you come into possession of the key…?" Cromwell asked quietly, drawing the two-toned gaze from the man.

He was silent for a moment, fingering the key before speaking. "Feliciano's Nonno gave it to me… when he got lost in the forest."

Feliciano jumped up at the sound of his name, blinking. Ludwig put a hand on his shoulder to keep him from moving too much. "N-nonno gave it to you?!" he asked, staring at the man. "But, why did you give it to me?"

The man looked down at the key and slowly shrugged his shoulders. "You needed protection… I hid myself in the key." His words were simple, refraining from saying more than was necessary. Ludwig sighed, patting his friend on the shoulder before turning his blue eyes on the king who spoke.

"That doesn't explain why the hell the barrier broke!" he snapped. "And what's the big deal with all of this?"

"My lord, the barrier broke because of the key," Wizard said calmly, apparently hoping that would soothe the angry king. "It was not on the proper bearer, so its power caused influxes in magic around it. That is why Feliciano could see the sprites and spirits. Now that the proper carrier holds it, order has returned."

The king scowled but sat back in his seat, his arms crossed. "Is there any use in finding the keys?"

Wizard and the priest looked at each other before the latter nodded. "If the keys and the bearers were found and brought together, we could successfully open the Gates to Heaven. There is huge amounts of power at hand that you can use. One can easily take over the other kingdoms with such power and bring peace to the lands. There will be no more fighting or worry of attack."

The king raised an eyebrow, a curious look crossing his face. "No more war…" he murmured. Ludwig swore he saw a faint smile on the man's lips.

"Sir, with your permission, we could search for the second key," Wizard cut in, the books and scrolls piling up on the floor as he stepped forward. "With the first key in hand, we can judge which direction the second is located."

The king was thoughtful for a long time, resting his chin on his knuckles. "Very well. Wizard, I will let you, the Barbarian, the Convolvuan, this man, and Knight Alfred to head out and search for the second key. Take whatever supplies are necessary. Send me weekly reports of your progress." He turned his attention to everyone in the room. "This conversation will remain confidential. Not a word must be breathed about this. If word gets out about this, your head will be on the chopping block."

With everyone consent on at the king's word, everyone departed from the room. The five who were given the quest set out through the hallway. Alfred hopped alongside the strange man, beaming. "This is so cool. We're going on a mission!"

"You better keep your lips shut about this trip," Wizard warned, stopping at an intersection and turned to them. "Everyone must pack. Bring only what is necessary. I will search your bags if I have to. Alfred, tell Elizaveta to pack food and supplies, as well as help Ludwig, Feliciano and-" He stopped, frowning at the third man. "What the hell is your name, anyway?"

The charcoal haired man blinked at him, before speaking quietly. "Varinius." Wizard turned back to his speech.

"-and Varinius, pack. And give that man something to cover his eye. He's going to terrorize anyone who looks at him. And a better set of clothes. We'll meet up at the stables in two hours."

The two hours passed quickly for Ludwig. He and Elizaveta had to help Feliciano pack, the careless idiot getting too distracted at the strangest things. The only thing the Convolvuan helped at was getting Varinius some clothes to wear. The man didn't seem to care what he wore, so Feliciano was happy to get him to try on all sorts of attire. Eventually he settled on some common britches, a scarlet, high collar tunic, and a black cloak that draped over his shoulders. His boots had been replaced by dark leather ones that went up to his knees, and his eye was covered by some cloth tied around his head.

"You look much better now!" the Convolvuan chimed, smiling as he watched the man pull the hood of his cloak over his eyes and wrapped it around himself, hiding his clothes from view. Ludwig glanced over at them and frowned. He was unsure if the man didn't like what he wore, or didn't know what to think about being dressed in something that wasn't a mantle and armor.

With everything packed and ready to go, the trio took their bags outside to the stables, where another surprise awaited them.

Wizard and Alfred had gotten out several horses for them to ride, and tethered to one large bay was a silvery-white horse that Feliciano all too well recognized.

"Horsie!" he cried, proceeding to drop his bags and rush over to his horse friend, wrapping his arms around its large neck.

"Looks like he found his lost friend," Ludwig muttered, picking up his friend's discarded bag off the ground and went over to them. As it turned out, Wizard had bought the horse from the traveling troupe, on the fact that the horse was actually a unicorn.

"Its horn hasn't grown in yet," he said, matter a factually. The silver horse was suppose to be used as a pack horse, yet Wizard's claim that it was strong enough to carry all the bags didn't win against Feliciano's whining. Eventually another horse was designated to be the pack carrier and Feliciano was happily perched on the white horse, stroking its mane with glee.

"Alright, everyone saddled up?" Wizard called, turning his horse to gaze at the group. His eyes turned to Varinius and nodded. "Can you feel the direction of the other key is?"

The man slowly wrapped his fingers under his cloak where the key hid, his one visible eye closing. "North," he murmured after awhile. "It is in the north."

* * *

Keys of Saint Peter/ Keys of Heaven: In Christian beliefs, Jesus gave Peter two keys, saying that "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matthew16:19) These keys are depicted on the Papal Coat of Arms, and also on the flag of Vatican City.

Alas, this chapter brings the end on Part 1 of this story. I have decided to chop this story up into two sections- three if I get around to it. Part 2, as I already planned on writing, will most likely be called "Key to the Heart". What secrets lie within, I cannot say.

When will I type it up and post the first chapter? Heh, I don't know. There will most likely be a hiatus of unusual size between the two parts, as I am a lazy bastard.

I am thankful for all the reviews and followers. I do pay attention to these sort of things. I hope you will be patient with me and my lazy ass. I don't want torches and pitchforks at my door. In the meantime, I have already started another story about our little Varinius- commonly known as Vatican City. Please feel free to read and review that story at your leisure.

In the meantime, hugs and cookies to you all! I will do my best to get Part 2 out as quickly as school and my jumbled imagination allows me to.


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